‘EU to continue aiding Jordan in education of Syrian refugees’

AMMAN — The EU is committed to supporting Jordan’s education sector and the integration of Syrian children into formal education, Štefan Füle, EU commissioner for enlargement and European neighbourhood policy, said Monday.

“The EU is one of the biggest donors to Jordan and stands by this country in these difficult times,” Füle said during a visit to Al Hussein Secondary School for Girls in Amman, which operates a double-shift system and accommodates around 500 Syrian students.

He noted that the best way to deal with the consequences of the situation in Syria is to deal with it politically, adding that the EU will invest in Syria’s future — its children.

The afternoon shift at Al Hussein school, which started in 2012 to accommodate Syrian refugees, targets girls and boys from grade one to four, in addition to girls from grade five to nine, led by 24 teachers and four administrative staff members.

The morning shift caters to 500 students, including 50 Syrian students in grades 10 to 12, with 30 teachers and eight administrative staff members, according to the school’s figures.

A total of 98 public schools in Jordan operate double shifts to accommodate Syrian refugee children in communities and urban centres with support from the EU and UNICEF.

Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat, who accompanied Füle on his visit, said the ministry seeks to improve the quality of education and provide equal opportunities to Jordanian and refugee students.

Noting that around 130,000 Syrian students study at the Kingdom’s public schools in morning and afternoon shifts, which costs the state budget over JD150 million annually, he highlighted the ministry’s need for further financial support from donors.

Thneibat spoke about the pressure that the large number of Syrian children has put on school infrastructure, stressing the Kingdom’s continuous support for Syrian refugees as “brothers to Jordan”.

“I have visited over 250 schools across the Kingdom and found that Syrian students are enrolled at almost all of our schools, even in Tafileh and Aqaba,” he said.

For his part, UNICEF Representative to Jordan Robert Jenkins highlighted the need to grant all children access to formal education.

“In partnership with the EU, we will continue supporting the ministry and partners in improving quality and access to all forms of education for all children in Jordan,” he said.

The EU has provided around 100 million euros (around JD90 million) for the education sector in Jordan since 2012, including teacher training and double shifting to accommodate Syrian students in host community schools, in addition to operational costs of schools in camps, nonformal and inclusive education, according to an EU statement.

The officials toured the school, gave schoolbags to students and listened to their complaints and needs.

Students said the afternoon shift lacks activities at computer and science laboratories, calling for further attention to art and music.