Education Ministry tries to accommodate public school children as parents fret

AMMAN — With more than 20,000 students transferring from private to public schools, the Ministry of Education is “committed to accepting all students wishing to enrol in public schools within its capacity”.

The ministry said in a statement that no student will be rejected, but if there is no room for him or her then they are placed on the waiting list or directed to the nearest school within the same directorate.

“Every student has the right for a seat at a government school, but this must be done within the capacity of the schools, especially as physical distancing measures require less students in the classroom,” said Abdul Ghafour Quraan, the ministry’s spokesperson.

Quraan added that the ministry is obliged to place any student on its waiting list in a school before the beginning of the new school year. 

This might be done by turning more schools on a two-shift system, adding more classrooms or transferring students to nearby schools within the residential area, the spokesperson said.

Parents voiced their concerns about the school year starting soon and not having heard from the ministry yet.

“As soon as the second semester ended, I took my children out of their private school and registered them at a public school next to our house. We have not heard back yet, and school is only a few days away,” said Alma Hani, a mother of two children.

Hani, who resides in the Sports City area, said, on Facebook, that she cannot afford another semester in a private school, but she is not sure about finding seats at a public school.

“It is very stressful not knowing where I am going to be sending my children,” she added.

Dina Mashal, a citizen, said: “I am happy that private school owners who have been taking advantage of the overcrowded public school system to exploit parents are losing business, this raises serious concern about our public education system’s capacity.”

Quraan also said that "the ministry is aware of the extent of parents' concern about their children, but the current situation requires everyone to join hands to overcome this matter, so parents must accept that they might have to register their children in the first or second shift in public schools, even if they are a little far from their areas of residence".