AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour is scheduled to meet with the country’s higher education officials, and presidents of public and private universities on Saturday, a source said on Monday.
A higher education source said discussions at the meeting will cover coming up with an executive plan to implement the higher education strategy.
In addition, “we will discuss issues related to criteria governing admission to the country’s public and private universities,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
There are currently 10 public and 18 private universities in Jordan.
The source said decreasing the number of students accepted in subjects with low demand in the job market will also be discussed in the meeting, adding that government support to universities will also be on the agenda.
Participants at the meeting, he said, will discuss including the government’s support as a fixed item on the state budget.
Violence on campus and ways to curb it will also be discussed, according to the source.
Violent acts at universities have been on the rise over the past few years.
The number of violent incidents reported at the Kingdom’s public and private universities over the past four years was 296, resulting in seven deaths, according to a study released recently by the Jordanian Political Science Association.
Fights on campus registered from 2010 to 2013 involved 3,999 students — 1,331 in 2011 alone, the study said.
