Students protest longer school day

AMMAN — Students from several schools across Jordan on Monday held sit-ins in protest against the new school hours system.

The Education Ministry recently increased daily hours in public schools in a circular that was sent to education departments.

Under the new system, classes in schools that work on the one shift system start at 8:30am and end at 4:10pm, with five minute breaks between each of the nine classes, in addition to a 15-minute lunch break.

Classes at schools operating on the two-shift system start at 7am, while the later shift starts at 12:30pm and comprises five 40-minute classes with five-minute breaks between them and a 15-minute lunch break.

“We are aware of the burden the new system places on teachers and students, who will have to leave school at night with the start of wintertime later this month,” Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) President Basil Freihat told The Jordan Times.

He noted that school hours have increased by no less than two hours without compensating teachers for the extra efforts.

“We will work on resolving the issue with the ministry,” said Freihat, noting that the JTA received dozens of calls last week from students, parents and teachers who find the new system to be “unfair”.

“How would students study what they learnt at school when they leave for home at 4:10pm?” he asked.

The head of the Education Ministry’s education directorate, Khawla Abu Hija, said in a statement on Monday that the ministry has entrusted directors of education departments to decide the school hours of their respective schools according to the situation of students and the geographical characteristics of the areas.

“However, they have to ensure that each class lasts for 45 minutes. Education directors can decide that the first class starts at 8am instead of 8:30am,” she noted, adding that the same applies to the two-shift schools.