Waves of private to public school transfers leave 10,000 students waiting for a seat

AMMAN — About 10,000 students are waiting for seats at national public schools, according to the Ministry of Education.

“Private schools host almost 350,000 students nationwide,” said Monther Sourani, President of private schools owners' association.

Sourani stated that the admission rate is “acceptable”, yet private schools have been losing students since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Pre-COVID, private schools used to host over 500,000 students annually,” said Sourani. 

“The Ministry of Education approved the transfer of 7,500 students from private to public schools,” this year, Ministry of Education Spokesperson Ahmad Masa’feh told The Jordan Times. 

However, Masa’feh said that registration for the new academic year is still under way. 

“Numbers might increase in the upcoming period,” said Masa’feh. 

He said that registrations will be valid until the fourth week of September. 

“Education is a right granted by the Constitution. We will ensure that every student has a seat in our public schools,” Masa’feh added. 

Sourani attributed the large number of transfer students to harsh economic burdens placed on parents, the increasing cost of transportation, as well as the convenience of public schools’ locations. 

A parent who preferred to remain anonymous told The Jordan Times that she chose to transfer her two daughters to public schools.

“I signed my daughters up for international IB, and hired private tutors,” she said. 

She added that having her daughters in public schools is a “backup plan” for her.

Meanwhile, Rami Salameh, who transferred his four children to public schools, said that he would rather invest in his children through extracurricular activities than “give away” his money to private schools.