Amman, Sept. 29 (Petra) – The Ministry of Education and Human
Resources Development and UNICEF hosted an orientation meeting on
Tuesday to introduce the Schools Teaching for Learning Recovery
(ST4LR) program.

The ST4LR program combines targeted literacy and math recovery
modules, teacher professional development, early warning tracking
systems, and child protection services to create a safer, more
effective learning environment for students across Jordan.

The ministry’s Director of Educational Research Jumaa Saud stated
that the program aligns with Jordan’s Education Strategic Plan
2026–2030.

It seeks to accelerate recovery in foundational reading and math
skills, improve classroom instruction, and prevent student dropouts
through targeted support and child protection measures.

The program prioritizes teaching quality, educator professional
development, and early detection systems to support vulnerable
students before they lag academically, according to Saud.

The project will launch across 50 pilot schools in its first phase
before scaling to 300 schools nationwide.

EU representative Fabian Schäfer stated the importance of a
community-wide approach to education, urging stronger collaboration
between schools, families, and local communities, with an emphasis on
engaging fathers to help improve academic outcomes for male students.

He pledged the EU’s continued commitment to supporting Jordan’s
public education system and its most vulnerable youth.

Recent Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results
showed steady improvement across core subjects in Jordan.

However, data presented by UNICEF Program Director and Education
Specialist Manar Ahmed revealed a persistent gender gap, with female
students continuing to outperform males in foundational subjects,
even as socio-economic and geographic disparities have narrowed.

Director of the Madrasati Initiative Tala Sweis confirmed that her
organization will leverage its field expertise to support rollout and
implementation.

//Petra// HA