Goals of the Jordan Ministry of Education
Teaching in a Bedouin village in Jordan is vastly different from my prior experience of teaching SAT classes to wealthy high-school students in Houston and Hong Kong. The students, the curriculum, the boards (chalk vs. white), the buildings, the attention level, the number of interruptions per hour per class, the level of respect, the decibel levels of the students and teachers trying to get the other to listen...sigh.
I recently stumbled upon an English translation of the goals of the education system in Jordan, published by the Ministry of Education. It's interesting to read the values that the Ministry demands the students master. I've copied, verbatim, the goals below.
General Outputs of Jordanian Educational System
By the end of the primary and secondary stages, students are expected to:
1. Believe in Allah, perceive the reality of Islamic doctrine, rules, rituals, worships and transactions, and know the biogrpahy of messenger Mohammad (peace be upon him), and connect with Islamic and Arabic values by acting them and being beahviorally and morally loyal to the country and the King.
2. Perceive all the realities and the basic events related to Arab Islamic Nation history and to the Jordanian population, especially for its connection with Arab Islamic world and with the humanitarian dimension in general.
3. Love their country and be loyal and proud of it, and stand the issued responsibilities.
4. Seek to develop and enhance their country and to take role in solving its problems and to fulfill its security and stability.
5. Reveal honesty and respect when dealing with others whether they are from their culture and religion, or from other cultures and religions.
6. Practice their duties and rights as they are considered to be citizens who participate in the development of their community and country.
7. Deal consciously with international, regional, Arabic, and national events and issues.
8. Reveal commitment to life-long learning.
9. Carry responsibility, self-confidence, personality independence and innovative research for new ideas.
10. Communicate effectively with others in many and proper ways.
11. Co-operate with others collaboratively.
12. Use information and communication technology to administer, analyze, convey, generate and apply knowledge and information.
13. Think deeply and creatively in important issues and cases.
14. Use critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills effectively.
15. Apply basic concepts, skills, methods, requirements and rules for each school subject in different aspects of life.
I assume that these are printed in order of priority to the Ministry. Also, what, exactly, does it mean to "carry...personality independence" (Goal 9), and is it redundant to use "co-operate...collaboratively" (Goal 11) in the same sentence?
I recently stumbled upon an English translation of the goals of the education system in Jordan, published by the Ministry of Education. It's interesting to read the values that the Ministry demands the students master. I've copied, verbatim, the goals below.
General Outputs of Jordanian Educational System
By the end of the primary and secondary stages, students are expected to:
1. Believe in Allah, perceive the reality of Islamic doctrine, rules, rituals, worships and transactions, and know the biogrpahy of messenger Mohammad (peace be upon him), and connect with Islamic and Arabic values by acting them and being beahviorally and morally loyal to the country and the King.
2. Perceive all the realities and the basic events related to Arab Islamic Nation history and to the Jordanian population, especially for its connection with Arab Islamic world and with the humanitarian dimension in general.
3. Love their country and be loyal and proud of it, and stand the issued responsibilities.
4. Seek to develop and enhance their country and to take role in solving its problems and to fulfill its security and stability.
5. Reveal honesty and respect when dealing with others whether they are from their culture and religion, or from other cultures and religions.
6. Practice their duties and rights as they are considered to be citizens who participate in the development of their community and country.
7. Deal consciously with international, regional, Arabic, and national events and issues.
8. Reveal commitment to life-long learning.
9. Carry responsibility, self-confidence, personality independence and innovative research for new ideas.
10. Communicate effectively with others in many and proper ways.
11. Co-operate with others collaboratively.
12. Use information and communication technology to administer, analyze, convey, generate and apply knowledge and information.
13. Think deeply and creatively in important issues and cases.
14. Use critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills effectively.
15. Apply basic concepts, skills, methods, requirements and rules for each school subject in different aspects of life.
I assume that these are printed in order of priority to the Ministry. Also, what, exactly, does it mean to "carry...personality independence" (Goal 9), and is it redundant to use "co-operate...collaboratively" (Goal 11) in the same sentence?
