Around 100,000 students not engaged in remote education — Education Ministry

AMMAN — Around 100,000 students have not engaged in remote education, according to the Ministry of Education. 

Most school students do not own tablets or laptops, which is a main reason why so many students have not engaged in online learning, according to the ministry. 

Saad Kharabsheh, former minister of health in Jordan, tweeted in Arabic saying: “According to a statement by the Ministry of Education issued by the Secretary General, about 100,000 students have not engaged in online education. Is this not a justification for dropping this academic year for all students? What would happen if students lost a year as if they’ve failed?”

Kharabsheh’s tweet drew mixed reactions from the public. Samia Qumri, a Jordanian twitter user tweeted in Arabic: “The solution is not to drop the school year, but to figure out the reason behind students not engaging. Why not follow up and find solutions? Children getting deprived of school years have consequences.” 

Batir Wardam tweeted: “The responsibility of student engagement in distance learning falls on the families. There are students who showed commitment and made efforts, why should these students pay the price of others’ fault?”

On the other hand, Rima, a parent of a Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate Examination) student, expressed her discontent with online education. “My daughter struggles to understand the material from the teachers through distance learning. It is causing her a lot of stress and I actually wish the year would be dropped since she will probably fail anyway,” Rima told The Jordan Times on Tuesday. 

Dania Osama, a 12th grade student in a public school also agrees with the proposal to drop the academic year. “This year determines my future and it is very important for me to pass my Tawjihi tests, but unfortunately it is very difficult for me to focus and try to actually learn through online platforms and over WhatsApp, it is very insufficient and ineffective,” she told The Jordan Times. 

Eman Mahayni, a teacher at a private school in Jordan believes that it is best to drop the school year as it is not only bad for the students but for the teachers as well.

“Not all teachers know how to deal with the technologies and platforms of online education, and some teachers like to interact with the students in order to explain and teach better. It is a struggle for both the teacher and the student,” Eman said. 

The Education Directorate was not available for comment despite attempts by The Jordan Times.