Set up a Connecting Classrooms partnership with a school in Jordan.

1. Working with schools in Jordan

2. Jordan
How will this webinar work?
 Please ensure your microphone/phone is on mute
 The webinar will be recorded
 Please refrain from asking any questions during the webinar. There will be a Q&A
section at the end of the webinar
About the British Council?
The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other
countries and builds trust between them worldwide. We are on the ground in six
continents and over 100 countries bringing international opportunity to life, every day.

3. Jordan
Aims of the webinar
 Develop an understanding of Jordan, their Education system and the challenges they
faces
 Benefits of partnering with a schools in Jordan for pupils and teachers
 How the British Council can help your school partner with a schools in Jordan
 How to apply and useful contact details
 Q&A session

4. Jordan
Facts about Jordan
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Jordan is one of the most pleasant and visited countries in the Middle East. Its
infrastructure is set up to encourage tourism.
Many people in Jordan speak English, though Arabic is the most spoken language.
Jordan has many different climates. It is surrounded by Saudi Arabia on the
Southeast, Iraq on the East, Syria on the North, and Israel and Palestine on the West.
Petra the “red-rose city” became one of the Seven Wonders of the World in May 2007.
UNESCO ranked Jordan's educational system 18th worldwide for providing equal
opportunities on gender basis.

5. Jordan
Education system in Jordan
The educational system in Jordan consists of:
• an optional two-year pre-school education
• ten years of compulsory basic education
• two years of secondary academic or vocational education for students aged 16 to 18,
(after the two years students sit for a General Certificate of Secondary Education Exam“Tawjihi”, optionally, students studying in private schools may opt to sit for the IB,
IGCSE/GCE/GCSE, SAT, and AP instead of the Tawjihi).

6. Jordan
Education system in Jordan
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Students are required to take 9 subjects; Arabic, English, Mathematics, Social
Studies, Computer Studies, Earth Science, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics.
Islamic studies are also mandatory for all students except for Christian students.
• There are 41 directorates of education in Jordan and each directorate has control over
a number of schools .
Schools and controlling authority
• Private schools are controlled by the Directorate of Private Education
• Military Schools are controlled by the Directorate of Military Education
• Public schools are controlled by the Ministry of Education directly.
• All the above controlled by the MoE

7. Jordan
The
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
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(UNRWA) operates one of the largest school systems in the Middle East - provides free
basic and preparatory education to Palestinian refugees for over 50 years.
Distribution of Students by Controlling Authority:
Controlling Authority
Students
Percentage
Ministry of Education
1143117
69.2
Other Governmental
22964
1.4
UNRWA
117613
7.1
Private Schools
368400
22.3
Total
1652094
100%

8. Jordan
Reform of the Education system in Jordan
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Jordan is well advanced in terms of the Millennium Development Goals relating to the
universal completion of primary schooling and the elimination of gender disparities.
• The Ministry of Education has engaged in a structural reform through the ERfKE1
(Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy) and ERfKE2 projects.
• The objective of ERfKE1aims to transform the education system at the early childhood,
basic, and secondary levels to produce graduates with the skills needed for the
knowledge economy.
The components of ERfKE1 are
• (i) reorientation of education policy objectives and strategies through governance and
administrative
• reform, (ii) transformation of education programmes and practice for the knowledge
economy

9. Jordan
Education Challenges
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Jordan, despite showing impressive improvement in the education system, still needs to
fix some of the persistent problems in this sector. With the rising growing youth
population, Jordanian government has to ensure that the quality of education and level
of skills imparted can help the new generation to compete effectively in the national and
international arena.
More than half of the Jordan population is below the age of 30 years. About 42.2% are
14 years or younger, 31.4% fall between 15–29 years of age; almost 1/3 of Jordanians
enroll in educational facilities and this causes pressure on the infrastructure and
financial resources within the Ministry of Education.
High number of the Iraqis and Syrians students recently enrolling in government
schools has caused a pressure on the resources.

10. Jordan
What are the benefits for pupils?
 Understanding of middle eastern culture, society and education
 Helping students understanding their rights and responsibilities as global citizens.
 Preparing students for work in a global economy and building a fairer, more
sustainable world.
 Jordan is saturated in history and culture; from the moment you arrive, you get a sense
of its rich heritage. The Nabateans, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans; Christians and
Muslims have all left their terraces at the several thousand archaeological and historical
sites. The Kingdom of Jordan offers a wide variety of Climates and geographical terrain
will bring culture and learning alive in the classroom.

11. Jordan
What are the benefits for teachers and educators?
 A chance to improve teaching skills and the curriculum by sharing best practice
 Opportunities to visit your partner school in Jordan with the British Council.
 A greater understanding of other countries, their cultures and their education
systems.
 Resources to help you explore social, environmental, and cultural themes.
 Access to online British Council run professional development courses.

12. Jordan
How can the British Council help you partner with
schools in Jordan?
We can support you in:
 Finding a partner – or school ‘cluster’ partner - and helping you apply
 Funding your partnership
 Managing your visit safely – e.g. help with local travel and accommodation.
 Advice and support every step of the way

13. Jordan
School Partnerships
 Partnership Structure – two way; 1-1 or 3-3 schools
 £250 Top-up grant
 Grant funding - £1500 per school
 Reciprocal Visits
 Key objectives
 Global Citizenship
 Enriching Education
 Building Equitable and Sustainable Partnerships
 Online Application
 Resources available: Webinar, Step by step guidance, Screencast
 If any questions, please email Schools@britishcouncil.org

14. Jordan
Next steps
 Register on the British Council Schools Online site
http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/
 British Council will suggest potential school partners in Jordan and connect you
 Develop a joint application for a Connecting Classrooms partnership grant
 Deadlines each term so apply when you and your partner school are ready
 For more info, please email schools@britishcouncil.org

15. Jordan
Feedback from participants who have worked with schools in the Jordan
Chris Milne , English Development Leader, Mildenhall College Academy- Suffolk-UK
The exchanging of
The exchanging of
finished ‘products’
finished ‘products’
and the speed of
and the speed of
feedback was key.
feedback was key.
Students quickly set
Students quickly set
up connections
up connections
through email,
through email,
Facebook and
Facebook and
twitter.
twitter.
The first Staff trip to visit our
The first Staff trip to visit our
partner school enthused the
partner school enthused the
Academy and sparked the
Academy and sparked the
imaginations of our students.
imaginations of our students.
The students loved the idea
The students loved the idea
that somewhere in the world
that somewhere in the world
other students were interested
other students were interested
in their lives and in turn they
in their lives and in turn they
wanted to know about the
wanted to know about the
Jordanian school.
Jordanian school.
The partnership with
The partnership with
Jordan has been aavery
Jordan has been very
positive experience for
positive experience for
our Academy. The
our Academy. The
students have been highly
students have been highly
involved and really thrown
involved and really thrown
themselves into the
themselves into the
project. There was aagreat
project. There was great
interest in two trips we
interest in two trips we
have organised.
have organised.

16. Jordan
Case study - 1 Mildenhall College Academy- Suffolk-UK and Dahyat Al
Rashid School, Amman Jordan
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Partners since February 2012.
Curriculum Projects: science joint projects and cultural events.
Connecting Classrooms Grant applied for in June 2013.
UK school visited Jordan in February 20013, three teachers with 30 students.
Jordanian school to visit UK in September 2013 and UK school to visit Jordan In
February 2013.
 Joint curriculum projects.
 Shared their experience in joint projects through Skype and exchange work pictures for
evaluation a documentation.
 The students in Dahyat Al Rasheed School are really excited and looking forward to
visiting UK in October.

17. Jordan
Case Study - 2
Kufursoom Secondary school for girls and School in Durham- UK
http://www.simahom.com/ashraf2/Main4Durham.html#prettyPhoto[flash2]/0/
Started their partnership in 2008.
Applied for Connecting Classrooms Partnership Grant in February 2013
Sustainable partnership- strong friendship between teachers and students.
Main project: the Planting and recycling- curriculum projects
Shared seed from both countries, plant the seeds, shared plants’ photos and the impact of the
different climates and soil in UK and Jordan on the plants’ growth and appearance.
 UK school visited Jordan three times and Jordanian school visited UK three times, the fourth visits
in September and October 2013
 Students from Jordan attended Edinburgh Tattoo during one. of the visits to Durham
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18. Jordan
Contact us
schools@britishcouncil.org
www.britishcouncil.org/schoolsonline
www.britishcouncil.org/isa
www.britishcouncil.org/connectingclassroomshttp://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/linkingprogrammes-worldwide/connecting-classrooms/spotlight/Jordan

19. Jordan
Question and Answer session
Apply before 31 January 2014