Queen Rania launches QRTA partnership with USAID to expand teacher training

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania and US Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green on Wednesday announced a new collaboration between USAID and the Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) at the QRTA’s new premises at the University of Jordan.

The collaboration, which will span four years, aims to provide the QRTA’s pre-service Teacher Education Professional Diploma (TEPD) at public universities outside Amman. Before rolling out the programme, the QRTA will train university staff in charge of teaching the diploma to ensure full adherence to its standards, according to a statement sent by Her Majesty’s office.

Through the collaboration, university students aspiring to become teachers will gain the practical skills they need to make learning engaging for children, the statement said.

Established in 2016, the TEPD was developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, incorporating international best practices, while also addressing challenges unique to Jordan’s classrooms.

Commenting on the new partnership, Queen Rania noted that the collaboration will shed light on the QRTA’s role in teacher training, and enhance the quality of education across Jordan by providing teachers with skills to excel in the classroom.

Her Majesty also thanked USAID for its support and its commitment to Jordan’s development, highlighting its focus on issues of concern to Jordan, and the crucial role the collaboration will have in expanding the reach of pre-service teacher training outside the capital of Amman.

Conveying her vision for the QRTA, Queen Rania added that the academy aims to become a regional centre for expertise in education development and teacher training, stressing the importance of adhering to the highest standards when scaling the diploma programme across the country.

At the meeting, which was also attended by Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Walid Maani, the QRTA’s CEO Osama Obeidat revealed that the academy would prepare a special training programme for university staff who will be teaching the diploma programme in order to guarantee full adherence to its standards.

Emphasising the economic importance of investments in education, USAID Administrator Green said: “Educated children and youth who are engaged in their communities are the best hope for sustainable economic growth. USAID is proud to partner with QRTA to ensure that all children across Jordan receive an education that empowers them to reach their full potential.”

Accompanied by Administrator Green, Queen Rania toured the academy and met graduates of the TEPD and some of its current trainees to hear about how the programme had improved their teaching skills.

USAID has provided support to the QRTA since 2013 to implement a number of programmes aimed at providing relevant training and support to thousands of teachers, helping them manage diverse classrooms, foster innovation, leadership and intellectual curiosity among Jordan’s youth, and create improved learning environments for children across the country, the statement said.

The QRTA is an independent non-profit organisation launched in 2009, and in partnership with the Ministry of Education, offers training programmes for Jordanian teachers and, to date, has trained 70,000 teachers across Jordan, according to the statement.