AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday launched Phase V of the Madrasati initiative, which will cover 100 of the most disadvantaged schools in the northern Governorate of Irbid.

In her address at the launch ceremony, which took place at the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), the Queen focused on the importance of education, its outcomes and the calibre of skills it instils in its graduates, according to a statement from her office.

Speaking about the integral role of education in the reform process, Her Majesty said: “Economic and political reforms are our goals, yet while they are the target, we didn’t give the means enough attention. Education is the means.”

“A generation empowered with knowledge and modern technology, legal know-how and political awareness is a generation capable of conscious, responsible participation, of engaging in dialogue and questioning, of coming up with realistic solutions to society’s problems based on consultation and constructive arguments,” she added.

The Queen stressed that education is also an essential component of development.

“We need an educational awakening, a skills-based renaissance to reform our education system and guarantee real reform and development. Education is the first requirement for development,” she said, reaffirming that international experiences have proven that raising the quality of education directly correlates to increases in the country’s gross domestic product.

Her Majesty thanked all those who work towards raising the standards of education in Jordan, and give their time and effort to this noble cause.

“Thank you to all those who worked on improving the quality of our education system and empowering our teachers, to all those who took responsibility for their futures, to all those who gave their time and money and expertise, whether groups, communities or individuals.”

She also thanked all those who supported Madrasati since its inception: “Thank you to all those who believed in the success of this project and its importance. It’s not easy to have faith and trust in an idea, yet with trust and teamwork we have accomplished together what we could never have accomplished alone.”

HRH Princes Rym Ali, Education Minister Fayez Saudi, Public Works and Housing Minister Yahya Kisbi, education officials and experts and representatives of NGOs and the private sector also attended the launch.

In her speech, Madrasati Director Danah Dajani spoke about the fifth phase of the initiative and proposed plans for schools in Irbid.

Following recommendations from the Ministry of Education, Madrasati selected 100 of the most disadvantaged schools in Irbid to join the initiative in 2012, which in turn will affect the lives of approximately 29,000 students, their families and communities.

Plans are set to begin physical renovations during the summer vacation and committees have already been working hard to determine priorities of each school, the statement said.

As part of the Madrasati methodology, focus group discussions will be held with students, teachers and parents all over Irbid to determine local educational needs. The initiative’s extracurricular programmes will be implemented in Irbid schools during the second semester of the next academic year in February 2013.

In addition to the 100 schools in Irbid, Madrasati has so far reached more than 400 schools across the country, affecting the lives of 135,000 students.

Since its launch in 2008, the initiative has developed an effective education model that works alongside the government, with 90 private sector companies, 10 NGOs, and five governmental departments.

Although Madrasati continues to adapt its work according each school, the core five principles that have always guided the initiative have always remained the same: partnership, local ownership, student focus, transparency and volunteerism.