Education technology conference slated for next week

AMMAN — Experts in the education and ICT sectors will convene in Amman on Tuesday to look into ways to boost e-education in Jordan, where a lack of financial resources has hampered progress in integrating technology in classrooms.

Participants at the three-day Education Technology Conference and Fair will come up with suggestions on how to go forward and implement projects that will give a boost to online education in the country and address challenges in this regard, according to organisers.

“Jordan has been lagging behind several Arab states... when it comes to online education and integration of technology in the education sector,” Omar Jarrah, the conference’s spokesperson, said at a press conference Wednesday.

“Jordan’s decline in such reports even affected the country’s ranking in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study,” Jarrah said.

“The drop in financial allocations in the Ministry of Education’s budget to support e-education projects and a lack of financial resources had a negative impact on Jordan as far as e-education is concerned,” Jarrah added.

Representatives from the ICT sector and academia from several Arab states are taking part in the event. 

International firms with solutions in the field of e-education such as IBM and the Integrated Technology Group, will take part in the event, held by the Jordan Computer Society with USAID as the implementing partner.

Azzam Shweihat, chairman of the Jordan Computer Society board of directors, stressed the importance of the event.

“Private sector firms can play a big role in addressing challenges when it comes to e-education, especially in securing the needed finance for such projects,” Shweihat told reporters.

He also called for public-private partnerships to address the gap in this regard.

Several issues will be discussed during the event including e-education in the Arab world, innovation and entrepreneurship, and the future of education.