Donors continue to support expansion, improvement of Jordanian education system

AMMAN (May 26, 2016) – The European Union, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom and United States, together with UNICEF, today announced their support to the Government of Jordan’s landmark commitment, made at the Syrian Conference in London earlier this year, to educate every child in Jordan in the 2016/2017 school year.

During an event hosted by the Ministry of Education and sponsored by His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education Prof. Mohammad Thneibat, the Ambassadorial representatives of the donor nations reiterated their strong support to the Ministry’s efforts to offer equity and quality education to all children living in Jordan, particularly Syrian refugees who will benefit from this collective support in the coming scholastic year.

In response to the Ministry’s plan presented in January 2016, the EU, Germany, Norway, U.K. and U.S. in a joint effort of unprecedented scale will make available the necessary funds to finance the Ministry’s request of 57.7 million JD for the plan over the next scholastic year. In the first year, the countries will provide the following amounts: EU 22 million JD; Germany 16 million JD; Norway 850,000 JD; U.K. 20 million JD; and U.S. 7 million JD. This total commitment will ensure the Government’s plan to place an additional 50,000 Syrian children in formal education is fully achieved without affecting the quality of education provided to Jordanian students. This raises the total number of Syrian refugees enrolled in formal schools to 193,000 and includes the provision of an additional 102 double-shift schools, raising the total double-shift schools to 200, as a temporary solution to the educational needs of Syrians in Jordan.

Donors and UNICEF also intend to scale up support of the government’s “catch up program,” which aims to enroll an additional 25,000 previously ineligible students inside formal schools to give them the opportunity to catch up to their peers in their age group, be tested, and when ready join their age cohort. The donor nations and UNICEF attested their strong support to the full integration of refugees into the public school system with equal access to services. In line with the Jordan Compact, their vision is that “every school will offer a safe, inclusive and tolerant environment with psychosocial support available to children.” The partners believe that the integration of all students presents the best solution for Jordan and the best option for children.

Donors continue to advocate that the Ministry of Education utilize the international development and humanitarian assistance provided as part of the response to the Syrian refugee crisis to ensure sustained quality educational services for children and youth impacted by the Syria crisis.

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