Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Update the General Objectives for Education in the Being Broadly Vocationally Or Iented
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HASHEMITE KINGDOM FOURTH QUARTER 2001 OF JORDAN A Quarterly Publication of the Jordan Country Unit Public Disclosure Authorized Update The World Bank Group STRATEGIC ISSUES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR g Introduction policy objectives of this program focused on upgrading teacher qualifications, upgrading Jordan is currently embarking upon an ambitious curricula and textbooks, and expansion and Public Disclosure Authorized program of social and economic reform with enhancement of school facilities. During the human resources development at its center. The intervening period, significant progress has been following notes outline the core strategic issues, made towards the achievement of these goals. which are being addressed at the respective levels While other policy objectives can be implied from of the education sys tem for their achievement. government directives, programming initiatives or other fora, an explicit policy framework for basic education addressing objectives such as access, g Basic Education equity, relevance, efficiency, financing, etc., is The Jordan “Accelerated Social and Economic currently not in place. The absence of this Development Plan” recognizes education as a framework presents challenges at all levels of the cornerstone of development and the principal system in terms of prioritizing inves tments, means of improving the welfare of its citizens. establishing program goals, and implementing effective monitoring and evaluation systems. Public Disclosure Authorized With the guiding purpose of basic education to produce a literate and numerate population, and Formulation of a policy framework reflective of current priorities is seen to be an important also to lay the foundation for further education, strategic objective. It is understood that a high the primary and secondary educ ation systems need to undergo continuous adaptation to the level policy forum on basic education involving international participation is planned for the near changing characteristics of the wider society. Recognizing the shift from a resource-based future. The output from this forum is expected to economy to a knowledge-based economy, and the assist in the development of a policy framework attendant need to incorporate enhanced levels of for Jordan. student learning abilities, analytical skills, team based activity, and computer literacy at the early Governance and Leadership stages of the education system, the following The Ministry of Education and its General issues are seen to be of strategic importance. Directorates are respons ible for achievement of Clarity of Policy Framework Inside this Issue Public Disclosure Authorized The current basic education system in Jordan Recent Economic Developments 7 builds on the 1987 National Conference on Jordan – A Pione er in Water Sector Reform 11 Educational Development, leading to a set of recommendations that provided the basis for a Bank Group Operations 16 ten-year education reform program. The principal World Bank Publications 21 Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Update the general objectives for education in the being broadly vocationally or iented. This is consi- Kingdom, including the design and dered to be unsustainable, inefficient and implementation of policies and plans. District inconsistent with the broader social and economic Directorates of Education in the governorates are development objectives of the country. It is responsible for the delivery of programs and recommended that the proposed education policy program quality. The education reform program forum place emphasis on this issue with a view to recognized the need to devolve increased levels of providing guidelines to undertake a fundamental responsibility to the local level and the individual reorie ntation of the secondary vocational stream. school level in order to meet the program objectives. No specific steps were identified Information, Communication Technologies however, to pursue such devolution. The Ministry (ICT) continues to maintain a high level of centralized authority with little autonomy being devolved to Jordan has well understood that a universal ability District Directorates or schools. This is seen to to fully utilize all dimensions of information and constrain growth, development and innovation. communication technologies will be central to the Following the articulation of the national achievement of its economic development education policy framework, it is recommended objectives. A similar recognition exists that the that detailed consideration be given to the development of these skills must begin at an early development of the most effective institutional age. In cons equence, a comprehensive strategic framework for implementation. Recognizing that framework for the incorporation of ICT into the high caliber schools are universally understood to basic education system has been formulated and be a direct function of the caliber of the school initial steps undertaken towards implementation. Principal, a similar level of consideration is This is clearly an important strategic initiative recommended in terms of program initiatives to which, together with other program reform issues, build educational leadership at all levels. calls for continued inves tment and support. Program Structure and Content Professional Development Two linked strategic issues are seen with respect While major investments have been made in to program structure and content. The first is that physical infrastructure for the development of basic education programming is strongly oriented basic education, the strategic thrust must now towar ds “teaching” as opposed to “learning”. This focus on building intellectual and institutional approach derives from the competitive and infrastructure. While teacher qualifications have academic nature of the Tawjihi examination been upgraded through the introduction of a which emphasizes the assimilation of information requirement to hold a baccalaureate degree as a and the development of abilities to respond to minimum prerequisite, the recommended shift questions of a standardized format. If an objective towards building a learning culture at the school for basic educ ation is seen to be preparation for level; the incorporation of ICT; program lifelong learning and integration of the individual adaptations; and the transfer of increased levels of into the productive sector of a knowledge autonomy to the local level will all call for major economy, then learning skills, analytical skills, investments in pr ofessional development. It is integrative abilities, and social adaptive abilities recommended that this issue be studied both are of significantly increased importance. Once quantitatively and qualitatively and an appropriate again, while issues of this nature were referenced strategy formulated. in the education reform program, they did not translate into the design of the education program System Efficiency itself. Within the context of the Jordanian objective to integrate more closely with the global As additional investments are proposed, economy, this becomes a core strategic issue. The maximizing system eff iciency becomes an second structural question relates to the objectives increasingly important core strategic issue. While and content of the secondary vocational stream. recognizing the need to provide equity of access The current program structure is seen to be to defined minimum levels of learning narrowly occupationally oriented as opposed to env ironment, additional investments should only Fourth Quarter 2001 2 Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Update occur after instituting multiple shift schooling, with respect to this issue and, without resolution, recruiting and deploying teachers more the work of the Council cannot be effective. The effectively, reducing the indirect costs of second issue relates to the structure, composition, education, and mobilizing community support functions, and relationship of the Secretariat to the have been fully explored. With a population Council. As presently constituted, responsibility growth rate paralleling projected economic to provide the Secretariat function has been growth rates, system efficiency of basic education assigned to the Vocational Training Corporation. continues to be a core strategic issue for Jordan. This is considered to be inappropriate on two grounds: first, the issue of conflict of interest g Technical And Vocational where one of the principal TVET providers is Education responsible for formulating policy options, and second, the skill sets currently resident within The mandate for providing publicly funded VTC do not encompass the range of issues, which the Council will be required to address. technical and vocational education in Jordan, is currently assigned to the Ministry of Educ ation, Continuing support to ensuring the efficient and the Vocational Training Corporation, and the effective functioning of the TVET Council is considered to be a strategic priority. Community Colleges managed by Al Balqa’ Applied University. Private technical and vocat ional education and training providers have Productive Sector Linkages traditio nally focused on the delivery of programs calling for low levels of capital investment and the As a labor surplus, labor exporting economy, utilization of part-time faculty. While the system there has traditionally been a low level of has historically been characterized by low levels incentive amongst Jordanian employers to invest of institutional co-ordination,