Amman Baccalaureate School celebrates its First Founders’ Day

AMMAN — Under the patronage of HRH Prince Hassan, the Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS) celebrated its first annual Founders’ Day on Wednesday to honour the school’s Chairwoman Emeritus, HRH Princess Sarvath, and her ABS co-founders whose service over 40 years was defined by the pursuit of academic excellence and a succession of remarkable achievements.  

ABS was founded in 1981 under the guiding vision of HRH Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath, to provide a demanding and inspiring bilingual education in Arabic and English that would exceed the highest international standards while remaining firmly rooted in Jordanian and Arabic culture and heritage, according to a statement from the Prince’s office. 

The school’s mission has remained steadfastly to nurture grounded and respectful, yet innovative and change-making young people, the statement said.

In his speech, Prince Hassan stressed “the centrality of hope, ethical principles, knowledge-sharing, and a commitment to our shared humanity”, adding that “investing in human capital was essential to our collective enablement and empowerment”.

The prince noted that contextualising and learning from the past was essential to inspiring innovation and powering the transformation processes that are essential for the future. 

He urged the school’s current and future alumni to maintain contact with one another, regardless of where they are in the world.

Princess Sumaya, chair of the board of trustees, said that the school would follow the lead of the founders, and would continue to develop to ensure that it stays to the forefront of educational institutions in Jordan and the world. 

Princess Sumaya said that Founders’ Day would henceforth be an annual celebration at ABS. 

To mark the celebration, a building or facility was named after each founder as a tribute to their commitment over four decades. ABS students also gave performances to celebrate themes including the school’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the nurturing of intellectual curiosity and cognitive awareness, respecting difference without prejudice to personal principles, and altruism and tolerance.

The celebration was attended by notable guests, current and former members of the board of trustees, parents, and members of the school community. 

The ABS was the first school in Jordan to adopt the IB Diploma Programme and was instrumental in spreading the programme nationally and regionally. It was also the first school to implement the IB Middle Years Programme and IB Career Related Programme. 

ABS is a Global Member of the Round Square Organisation and was the first school in Jordan to be awarded the Council of International Schools International Accreditation.

It has pioneered a variety of other initiatives including the El Hassan Youth Award and the Model United Nations, which are now integral to Jordan’s educational system. These initiatives play a significant role in nurturing and preparing young people to be responsible and articulate leaders in their communities.  The school also excelled in offering outstanding and flexible educational programmes and activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ABS has graduated more than 2,700 students over the years, many of whom are contributing to local and global communities in pursuance of the vision of Their Royal Highnesses. 

Just two weeks ago, the ABS celebrated its 38th Graduation Ceremony. As always, a large proportion of this year’s graduates have been accepted by prestigious universities around the world, many with scholarships based on academic merit, according to the statement.