‘Disappointing’ test results challenge Jordan to reform education — Queen

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Thursday wrote on her Facebook page that the drop in maths and sciences in the global ranking of Jordanian students is disappointing.

"Another time, the results tell us about the fact of the drop in education quality, after releasing the 2015 results of the Trends in International Maths and Science Study [TIMSS],” the Queen wrote.

"We cannot ignore what is happening to our education, and we cannot afford the repercussions of not reforming it. Despite the dispute over the recent changes of curricula 'with' or 'against', I noticed not only consensus but insistence by all on developing education," she added.

"In spite of the disappointment," Her Majesty urged stakeholders to take the results as a motivation to improve the educational system with a comprehensive development process that involves education policies, schools, teachers, curricula and parents.

She called on all segments of society to be part of the solution.

Deputy Prime Minister for Services and Minister of Education Mohammad Thneibat on Wednesday attended the ceremony of announcing the results at the National Centre for Human Resources Development.

The minister stressed that the results of TIMSS are a very important indicator for the educational system as it measures the performance of students.   

The results showed that Jordan has dropped 20 points by ranking 386 in math, age category 9-10, and dropped 23 points in science achievement with 426 points.

Jordan came 5th among 10 Arab countries that participated in the study, which covered 39 countries in total. 

TIMSS enables participating countries to make evidence-based decisions for improving educational policy.

It also helps them measure the effectiveness of their educational systems in a global context, identifying gaps in learning resources and opportunities, pinpointing areas of weakness and stimulating curriculum reform, according to TIMSS’ website.

In her speech at the launch of the National Strategy for Human Resource Development conference, the Queen cited shocking facts about the outcome of the process. 

“We get to the 8th grade, and we see that instead of improving, Jordan’s ranking has deteriorated in the last two cycles in the TIMSS International Mathematics and Science Assessment. 

“Then, in the 10th grade, we find Jordan ranking among the bottom 10 countries in the Programme for International Student Assessment on a list of 56 states. As for the General Secondary Certificate [Tawjihi], despite efforts to improve it and elevate its status, the outcome remains unsatisfactory,” the Queen told her audience in September.