Going a long way

Acting upon instructions from His Majesty King Abdullah, the government will grant every student enrolled in public or military schools the sum of JD20, a disbursement that will continue throughout the scholastic year, and said it will exempt them from paying school fees.

The news, received by students and parents with great satisfaction and appreciation, has not only a material meaning, but signifies a lot in terms of moral support to the families of students whose return to school this year coincides with Eid Al Adha, a time that puts even more strain on the budget of many families.

An overwhelming number of students enrolled in public or military schools are economically disadvantaged and the beginning of a school year brings with it financial hardships for the parents.

Any support that eases that burden, even if token, cannot be but appreciated.

The start of a school year means buying clothes, books, shoes and other school necessities; the JD20 will go some way towards helping parents cope with the burden, but the full meaning of this timely decision goes way beyond the sum.

The message it sends is that the King is thinking of them, is aware of their plight, and does something concrete to help, an example many well-heeled Jordanians could well follow.

Any small gesture counts a lot in the life of those less privileged and any money going towards education is money well spent and with guarantee of high returns.

The government’s budget is full of holes and it can do only this much to help.

The influx of the many Syrian refugee schoolchildren, who were accepted in the country’s education system at great sacrifice, further taxes the government’s resources. 

The private sector helps discretely, but a more concerted, more institutionalised effort should be exerted to involve this bracket of society in the education process in the country.

Literate, educated young people can give back multiplied.

Uneducated, neglected youth have few choices in life, and those are often nefarious, and tend to come back and haunt society.

Choices are clear. The King, again, pointed the direction.