Jordan

Preprimary Education: Preprimary education, organized for children beginning at age three years and eight months, aims to provide an adequate educational environment to help children acquire sound health habits, develop positive social relationships, foster positive attitudes towards school, and be prepared for a smooth transition from home to school.

Children's attendance at preschool classes is not compulsory. Enrollment in this cycle is 26 percent. Methods and activities in this cycle aim to promote the development of the child's personality. The Ministry of Education supervises all preschool institutions.

In the academic year 1997-98, the average pupil to teacher ratio at the preschool level was 20.7 to 1, and the average number of children per class was 23.6.

Virtually all preschool education is private, but under the supervision and control of the MOE. The aim of this type of education as stated in Article 8 of the Education Law of 1955 is "to guide children toward the correct habits and actions, to develop their abilities, to accustom them to discipline and to prepare them for entering the elementary school." Enrollment in preprimary schools has increased substantially. For example, during 1990, there were 44,856 children enrolled at 546 preschools; by 1998 the enrollment reached 69,425 at 932 schools. The number of teachers grew from 1,933 to 3,346. More than 99 percent of the teachers are female.

Primary Education: Basic education comprises 10 years of compulsory schooling, starting at the age of five years and eight months. Pupils are offered a basic and well-balanced education in the social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual aspects of their growth to create the basis for successful learning at higher forms of education and for continuous learning in life.

The aims of the compulsory education cycle as stated in Law 16 of 1964 include the development of the individual with respect to healthy attitudes, habits, and religious values and the cultivation of fundamental skills: "use of proper language, the arithmetic skills that are necessary for the daily life, observation and attentive listening, objectives and constructive criticism, and scientific ways of thinking." In addition, students should know about the environment and the Arab world, learn a foreign language, develop an appreciation of the fine arts, and learn to use leisure time effectively.

Basic education aims at preparing the learners to be able to (Ministry of Education 1998):

• Be consciously acquainted with the history, principles, rules, and values of Islam and exemplify them in their character and behavior.
• Master the basic skills of Arabic language to be able to use it easily.
• Know the basic facts and events of history, especially that of Islamic and Arab nations and Jordan in particular.
• Follow social behavior rules and take into account commendable social traditions, habits, and values.
• Love, be proud of, and shoulder the responsibilities towards their homeland.
• Be aware of the basic facts related to the natural environment, as well as Jordanian, Arabic, and international geography.
• Love their family and society and shoulder the responsibilities towards them.
• Master the basic skills of at least one foreign language.
• Deal with numerical systems, basic mathematical processes, and geometrical figures and use them in everyday life.
• Absorb basic scientific facts and generalizations and their experimental bases and use them to explain natural phenomena.
• Think scientifically, using the process of observation, data collection, organization, analysis, deduction, and decision making.
• Comprehend scientific bases of the forms of technology and use them properly.
• Be keen on the safety, cleanliness, beauty, and wealth of their environment.
• Be aware of the importance of their physical fitness and health and to practice suitable sport and health activities.
• Have aesthetic taste in the various arts and express their own artistic interests.
• Be able to perform handicraft skills matching their abilities and interests, make an effort to develop them, and have respect for manual work owing to its basic function in social life.
• Exemplify diligence, persistence, and self-dependence in achievement.
• Express their talents, special abilities, and creative aspects.
• Accept and respect others, consider their feelings, and appreciate their merits and achievements.
• Appreciate the value of time and make good use of their free time.
• Strive for self-instruction and the development of their competencies.

The curriculum adopted in Jordanian basic education attempts to implement the above goals by focusing on Arabic, English, mathematics, and, to a lesser degree, general science. Islamic religion is also offered, along with music and anthems, arts education, physical education, vocational education, computer training, social and national education, and geography.

Enrollment rates in this cycle increased from 926,445 students in 1990-91 to 1,121,860 students in 1997-98. During the same time, the number of schools increased from 2,457 to 2,623. The gross enrollment ratio in this cycle is 95 percent, the average number of pupils per class is 30.4, and the average length of the teaching period is 45 minutes. In the academic year 1997-98, the average student to teacher ratio at the basic education level was 26 to 1.

Evaluating students is the responsibility of the teachers. Each semester there are three exams; each one counts for 15 percent of the student's grade. Participation counts for another 15 percent and the final exam, 40 percent. The school gives students certificates at the end of each academic year through the eleventh class (first year of secondary education), whereby the results of the first and second terms with the final average are all indicated. In addition, classifying students into the various types of secondary education is carried out according to their grades in grades 8 through 10.