(Office of Her Majesty – Press Department – Amman) - Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah chaired a board meeting for the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development (QRF) on Monday. The meeting discussed shortcomings in Jordan’s educational system, and identified new strategies to strengthen the development of educational programs.
QRF CEO Mrs. Haifa Dia Al-Attia expressed the foundation’s hope for influencing national policies affecting teachers and education, and creating a national dialogue about key issues in human resource development. Based on in-depth research, QRF’s recommendations highlighted the need for innovative and strategic approaches to educational reform.
The foundation determined that future reform must reinforce use of technology in education improve access to school facilities and resources, upgrade curriculum and assessment criteria, as well as institute teacher training.
The research results, which found that teachers have the biggest impact on student performance, reinforce Queen Rania’s hard-held belief in the pivotal role of teachers. The studies further demonstrate that introducing new educational tools and strategies for teacher training and recognition helps improve the overall educational landscape in Jordan.
The board briefed Her Majesty on QRF’s long-term vision for education reform, including its plan to establish a teachers’ college that offers prospective teachers post-graduate diplomas in education, under the administration of the Queen Rania Teachers’ Academy (QRTA).
QRF’s research also identified that early childhood development services in the public sector significantly lag behind those in the private sector. Private nurseries and kindergartens reported having better facilities, equipment, and infrastructure. Moreover, while 60% of caregivers in the private sector reported receiving professional training, 90% of caregivers in the public sector said they never received any.