The Minister of Education, Dr. Azmi Mahafza, chaired a meeting of the Expanded Planning Committee held last night at the Teachers' Club in Amman. The meeting was attended by the Ministry’s two Secretary-Generals: Dr. Nawaf Al-Ajarmeh for Educational Affairs, and Sahar Al-Shakhater for Administrative and Financial Affairs.
اضافة اعلان
During the meeting, which was also attended by department directors from the Ministry’s headquarters, Directors of Education, the Military Culture Department, and UNRWA, a number of educational issues were discussed. These included the distribution of ninth-grade students into academic and vocational tracks, the distribution of eleventh-grade students into academic fields, preparations for the general secondary education exams, the readiness of examination centers, vocational education, school infrastructure, reducing unnecessary administrative tasks, school attendance regulations, and student discipline.
Dr. Mahafza emphasized the importance of monitoring by education directors and ensuring student attendance, particularly for secondary school students, in an effort to curb the growing phenomenon of student absenteeism. He stressed the importance of reducing unjustified absenteeism rates, pointing out the crucial role of education directors, specialized managers, department heads, educational supervisors, school principals, and their assistants in regulating the educational process.
He also highlighted the importance of the role of school counselors and the guidance departments in directorates, stressing the need to involve the local community and development councils in improving and enhancing the educational process.
Dr. Mahafza noted that vocational education has begun to gain a good reputation, with increased interest in its specializations. He pointed out that private schools are now offering tracks in this field, and the Ministry aims to increase the percentage of students joining vocational education to 50% in the future. He called for collective efforts to achieve the objectives in developing this educational branch.
The Minister also emphasized the significance of the initiative “My School, My Belonging,” which achieved great success during the previous academic year. The initiative positively impacted the school environment, enhanced students' sense of responsibility toward their schools, and promoted this culture among students. Dr. Mahafza mentioned that the Ministry has prepared a reference guide for this initiative and will hold a special competition across the Kingdom’s regions, with valuable financial prizes for the winning schools.
At the end of the meeting, attendees shared an Iftar meal, celebrating the blessed Ramadan rituals.
