Cabinet approves compulsory Arabic test for teachers, journalists

AMMAN — The Council of Ministers on Sunday approved the 2016 draft by-law requiring teachers, broadcasters and editors to take an Arabic proficiency exam, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Under Article 10 of the 2015 law to protect Arabic, a higher committee for the proficiency exam will be formed, headed by the president of the Jordan Academy of Arabic. 

The committee will handle annual plans for the exam, supervising the setting of questions and forming panels to oversee the test and accredit the final results. 

Teachers, broadcasters and editors will not be hired unless they pass the Arabic proficiency exam, Petra reported. 

The exam will be held at least once a month and those who fail can sit for the exam again at a later session. 

Last year, Jordan Academy of Arabic President Khalid Karaki said that under the new law, non-Arab teachers and educators who teach a foreign language are not required to take the exam, nor are those who work at media outlets’ foreign language departments.