AMMAN — The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development operates 4,078 schools, while the number of rented schools has fallen from 776 two years ago to 606 currently after 170 schools were phased out, Secretary-General for Educational Affairs Nawaf Ajarmeh said on Sunday.

 

Speaking to Al Mamlaka TV, Ajarmeh said that the decline in rented schools reflects the government’s efforts to expand school infrastructure and improve the learning environment.

 

He also said that the new academic year began without shortages of textbooks or desks and without complaints regarding student admissions.

 

The government established 86 new schools across the Kingdom within a year, he said, in addition to school extensions and new facilities worth JD89 million, Ajarmeh said.

 

It also carried out maintenance work at 484 schools at a cost of JD16 million, bringing the total value of the works to around JD185 million, He added.

 

The government has also approved the establishment of five new technical schools at a total cost of nearly JD25 million as part of efforts to expand vocational and technical education.

 

The schools include Al Qweismeh Secondary School for Boys in Amman, Rehab Secondary School for Boys in Mafraq, Jerash Secondary School for Girls, Wadi Al Rayyan Secondary School for Boys and Zabdah Farkouh Secondary School for Boys in Irbid.

 

Ajarmeh said the new schools have helped address challenges linked to the double-shift system and rented school buildings, alongside projects to add classrooms and establish kindergarten classes.

 

On digital education, he said the ministry will provide schools with 25,000 new computers in the coming days as part of efforts to strengthen the sector’s technological infrastructure.

 

The ministry has also made significant progress in preparing to computerise the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi), with the system expected to be introduced next year, he noted.

 

Ajajmeh said financial challenges and some technical requirements and equipment still need to be addressed before the plan is completed.

 

Students will be able to sit for the exam at a time of their choosing and retake it when they wish, he said.

 

He also noted that computerising the exam does not necessarily mean results will be issued immediately after students complete it.