Schools begin kindergarten registration as government eyes complete inclusion

AMMAN — Schools affiliated with the Ministry of Education began receiving parents on Sunday to register their children in kindergarten for the second level (KG2), according to the Director of Education Management at the Ministry of Education Sami Mahasis.

The government has previously stated that complete inclusion of kindergartens is a priority, which means that all kindergarten-age children must enroll in kindergartens, resulting in a 100 per cent enrollment rate if the Ministry of Education works to expand the sector by establishing kindergarten divisions and kindergarten complexes. The ministry also said that it prioritises the appointment of kindergarten teachers in order to achieve this goal.

According to the guidelines and conditions of the government kindergartens, children born between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 were ordered to be admitted, Mahasis said.

Mahasis noted that the registration period will continue until June 10.

The total number of children born in 2016 is 213,446, divided into 181,811 Jordanians, and 31,635 of other nationalities, according to statistics from the Civil Status and Passports Department.

“Committees will be formed in schools for the purposes of admission to the kindergarten level, consisting of the school principal, the kindergarten teacher, and two other school teachers who are residents of the area in which the school is located, as well as a representative from the General Education Department in the Education Directorate and a representative from the local community,” Mahasis told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

Mahasis indicated that the maximum number of students admitted to one class is 25, based on each school’s ability and the health measures, which include physical distancing between students.

“Admission to the kindergarten will be prioritised for children from the school’s service area, firstly for children from the poorest households, as long as they provide official documentation proving that they get aid from the National Aid Fund. Secondly, children who live nearest to the school, in addition to children of teachers and school staff who approximately make no more than 20 per cent of all admitted children,” Mahasis added.

According to the current Education Law, enrollment in the second level of kindergarten is not a requirement for admission to the first grade.

Mahasis emphasized that the kindergarten period is not mainly a learning and teaching stage, as it is to improve the child’s skills and prepare them to reach the school environment and engage with students and start learning.

 “The goal of the kindergarten stage is to enable children to be able to solve daily problems, make appropriate decisions about them, and achieve balance in the development of their personalities, based on the educational experiences they have, because a child’s ability to learn is dependent on the aptitude that they develop in the mental, social, and emotional domains,” Mahasis continued.

This year, the new national development curriculum, which was developed in collaboration with the National Curriculum Development Centre, will be taught in kindergartens, Mahasis said.