‘Ministry mulls appointing teachers through competition’

AMMAN — The Education Ministry is planning to start appointing teachers based on their scores in evaluation exams designed to gauge their competence as educators, the minister, Mohammad Thneibat, said Tuesday.

At a meeting with UK Minister of State for International Development Desmond Swayne, Thneibat said the ministry seeks to announce vacancies and select the best applicants on the basis of competitiveness and efficiency in the coming years.

Teachers at public schools are currently appointed through Civil Service Bureau lists and regulations.

The ministry pays a great deal of attention to teacher training, Thneibat noted, adding that a JD8 million grant from Canada has been allocated to train teachers.

The minister also briefed Swayne on other education reform measures and the challenges facing the sector due to the influx of refugees.

He said the ministry plans to build some 450 schools over the next five years to absorb the rising number of students, noting that refugees enrolled in public schools are offered the same opportunities as their Jordanian peers.

Thneibat added that the ministry is committed to promoting vocational education in Jordan, benefiting from the experiences of several countries in the field.

For his part, Swayne commended Jordan for the services it offers to Syrian refugees, noting that the Kingdom’s humanitarian policies encourage the international community to support it.

The UN General Assembly meeting slated for later this month will be an opportunity to galvanise further international assistance for Jordan, the UK official said.  

He also commended the Education Ministry’s “ambitious plans”.