Queen chairs education foundation's board meeting

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday chaired a board meeting for the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development (QRF). 

The meeting discussed shortcomings in Jordan’s education system, and identified new strategies to strengthen the development of educational programmes, according to a statement from Her Majesty's office.

QRF CEO 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 the use of technology in education, improve access to school facilities and resources, upgrade curricula and assessment criteria, and 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 statement said.  

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.

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 per cent of caregivers in the private sector reported receiving professional training, 90 per cent of caregivers in the public sector said they never received any.