For the best cause

Some 50 University of Jordan students recently staged a protest against increased tuition fees for parallel and postgraduate studies.

The number of protesters may be small, but the issue is big.

It could be small because those demonstrating just want to keep the issue alive.

Protests started last June because tuition fees were raised by 200 per cent for postgraduate and 100 per cent for parallel programmes.

The organisers of this recent protest did not blame the university, but the government, which stopped giving financial assistance to the University of Jordan a few years ago.

“It is the duty of the government and local entities to financially support educational institutions, since providing citizens with education will build better generations,” said organiser Alaa Hajjh.

Right.

It is a duty of all financially sound entities to chip in and help the process of education.

As repeatedly said in this space, educated citizens are an asset for the society, individuals who can be counted on to contribute to the development of the country and the betterment of their community.

Investment in education is one of the most profitable, even though the returns are not necessarily felt financially.

Moreover, supporting education is a duty imposed on all states party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights — and Jordan is a member — whose Article 13, for example, says its signatories agree “that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They further agree that education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society, promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations and all racial, ethnic or religious groups, and further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace”.

The covenant also stipulates that primary education should be compulsory and free to all, while higher education shall be made “equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education”.

In other words, university education must be made progressively free, and not progressively more expensive.

While universities in Jordan might not be really to blame for raising tuition fees to help them cover costs and offer “proper education”,  it must be reminded that it is the government’s duty, under the ICESCR, at least, to make tuition charges “progressively free” by providing financial support to universities.

Given the importance of education to the development, stability and progress of the country, it is incumbent on the government to take its obligation  towards making education at all levels progressively free more seriously.

What is at stake, in the absence of proper education, is the security of the country and its sustainable development.

And these are not to be taken lightly.