Dialogue sessions held for greater inclusion, diversity in education

AMMAN — The Ministry of Education  and the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) led a series of dialogue and orientation sessions as part of their capacity development efforts towards greater inclusion and diversity in Jordan, with the support of UNESCO and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

Three dialogue and orientation sessions were held between March 13 and 21, including more than 130 participants from national stakeholders and key education partners; education field directorate representatives, school principals and teachers; and non-governmental organisations, including community-based organisations and organisations of persons with disabilities, according to a UNESCO statement. 

Jordan’s ambition and commitment to achieve the Education Sustainable Development Goal 4 by 2030 and to implement the 10-Year Strategy for Inclusive Education is reflected in the Education Ministry and HCD’s leadership and ownership of the process, leading to greater inclusion and diversity in education in the country, read the statement.

“We are all here and we have the belief that change is happening and will happen,” said Nabil Ali Al Hanaqata, General Education Managing Director at the Education Ministry, reiterating the right to education for all children in Jordan to move towards greater inclusion and diversity in education.

HCD representative Ghadeer Hamarneh said: “We have a dream that every child in Jordan can receive quality education, in a mainstream school, regardless of their differences, and together we can make this dream come true.”

Both the Ministry of Education and HCD highlighted that Jordan already has the enabling laws, policies and structures to support the capacity development process that is needed to reach inclusive education in Jordan. Investing in support systems, teachers’ professional development and dialogue with parents and communities are critical to achieve this goal, the statement said.

“Inclusive education provides an opportunity to change the school environment and to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning,” said Amani Amr Moussa Al Jamal, director of Anissa Bint Kaab Basic School for Girls II in Marka, who participated along with 65 other Education Ministry field directorate representatives, principals and teachers from the 18 pilot schools in Ajloun, Karak and Marka in the planning workshop “Introduction to managing inclusive schools” that took place from March 13-15.

Shadia Adnan Abdallah Oneizat, a kindergarten teacher in the Fayhaa’ Basic Mixed School in Ajloun, highlighted that the workshop helped her widen her understanding of inclusion and diversity in education, and that inclusive education is beyond disability and it concerns groups of children that she works with on a daily basis. 

The selected pilot schools are part of the national roll-out programme, illustrated within the Three-Year Inclusive Education Action Plan, to showcase that inclusion and diversity in education can happen. 

A technical session held on March 20 with key education partners and donors discussed the steps for joint implementation of the “MOE Capacity Development Roadmap for System Strengthening towards Inclusion and Diversity in Education in Jordan” and addressed the theme of managing inclusion and diversity in education. 

The session on March 21 concentrated on information and experience sharing by different NGOs and smaller organisations and highlighted innovative and promising practices and interventions addressing the needs of vulnerable children excluded from and within education in Jordan. 

The three sessions supported promoting a better and common understanding of inclusion and diversity in education in the Jordanian context and introduced key concepts related to managing inclusion and diversity in schools, the statement said.

Moreover, they contributed to improving the alignment of programmes, projects, and initiatives that support specific steps of the “Capacity Development Roadmap on Inclusion and Diversity in Education”. 

During the coming months, additional dialogue sessions and more focused and specialised trainings for schools and officials at directorate and central levels will be implemented with the Education Ministry and the HCD, with the support of UNESCO and GIZ, as part of the ongoing efforts for the capacity development towards greater inclusion and diversity in Jordan, concluded the statement.