Facts About Jordan
Full name: The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan. Area: 92,300 sq km. Population: 5,759,732 (July 2005 est.). Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%. Capital: Amman. Largest Cities: Amman, Al Zarka, Irbid, Al Aqabah, Al Karak, Maan. Official Language: Arabic (official), English is also widely spoken.
Religion: Sunni Muslim 92%.
Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox).
Others 2% ( Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations).
Education system:
Education has played a transformative role in the development of Jordan from an agrarian, subsistence economy to a predominantly urban, industrialized nation. With few natural resources at its disposal, Jordan has opted to develop its human capacity. To date Jordan's record of educational development has been impressive. Jordan's population has a very high literacy rate of 89 percent. Today there are 2787 government schools, 1493 rivate schools, 48 community colleges, and 19 universities . In Jordan, access to basic education has been emphasized in all the country's development plans. The government has, as a matter of policy, provided every village and community with 10 or more school-going children with a school. As a result, the rapid spread of facilities enabled citizens in poor and remote areas to gain access to education. Jordan invests 13 percent of public expenditure on basic and secondary education. The total enrollment rate for basic education is 90 percent and decreases to 70 percent for the secondary cycle. Male enrollment is nominally higher in early childhood and basic education. Female students, however, comprise 55 percent of the secondary education population.
The structure of the educational system in Jordan consists of a two-year cycle of pre-school education, ten years of compulsory basic education, and two years of secondary academic or vocational education after which the students sit for a General Certificate of Secondary Education Exam -- Tawjihi. With close to half of the population (43%) below the age of 15 years, the challenge for the 21st century is to ensure that Jordan's youth receive the quality of education and relevant labor market skills needed to effectively compete for domestic, regional and international employment.
The structure of the educational system in Jordan consists of a two-year cycle of pre-school education, ten years of compulsory basic education, and two years of secondary academic or vocational education after which the students sit for a General Certificate of Secondary Education Exam -- Tawjihi.
With close to half of the population (43%) below the age of 15 years, the challenge for the 21st century is to ensure that Jordan's youth receive the quality of education and relevant labor market skills needed to effectively compete for domestic, regional and international employment.
