Mafraq teacher pitches in to help construct school warehouse

AMMAN — Out of his concern for the appearance of his school in Mafraq Governorate, 47-year-old educator Hani Khawaldeh volunteered his time and energy to plaster the walls of its warehouse.

After the principal of the Eastern Hayyan Ruweibid School, named after a village 18km away from the northeastern city of Mafraq, decided to have a warehouse built for storing and renovating the school’s furniture, Khawaldeh decided to pitch in and plaster its walls. 

“I did not want the school to pay for the service because it already faces financial hardships, so I decided to help,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone on Monday. 

Khawaldeh, the principal’s assistant, has been an English language teacher for 23 years and has worked at this school for 14 years. 

The teacher, who began the voluntary work on Sunday and expects to wrap up by Tuesday, said his colleagues and several students also gave him a hand. 

“As you were talking to me, one of the teachers began decorating the walls with graffiti,” Khawaldeh noted. 

Qasim Arqan, the head of the Jordan Teachers Association’s Mafraq branch, commended the teacher’s initiative. 

“He is a good example not only for his fellow teachers and officials, but also for students,” Arqan told The Jordan Times. 

A total of 230 students are enrolled in the Mafraq school, which was established in 1974 and is the only school in the area, according to Khawaldeh. 

“Elementary and secondary students are in the same classroom, which is not suitable for them at all. The school can hardly manage to accommodate the growing number of students,” he said.

Noting that the Education Ministry does not have enough financial resources to deal with the overcrowded public schools, Arqan urged the private sector to offer assistance. 

“The private sector has to support public schools and voluntary initiatives like Khawaldeh’s efforts.” 

Khawaldeh said a 16-room building under construction near the school can help resolve the problem of overcrowded classrooms. 

“This can be a good solution and we can move elementary school children to that building.”