Senate panel examines situation of private colleges

AMMAN — The Senate’s Education Committee on Monday met with Ayman Magableh, head of the committee of private college deans, and discussed some challenges facing these faculties. Senator Wajih Owais, head of the Upper House panel, noted that private colleges are suffering a “sharp decrease” in students, stressing the importance of finding suitable solutions according to national higher education priorities.

Magableh said the colleges can accommodate up to 15,330 students, but they currently have 7,645 students with an occupancy rate of less than 50 per cent, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. There are 41 colleges in Jordan, the total number of students in 10 of them is less than the number of students in one class at some public universities, Magableh noted.