30 new schools needed annually to keep up with growing student population — Education Ministry

AMMAN — The Ministry of Education needs to establish at least 30 schools annually to accommodate the 25,000 new students who join public schools each year, Esam Abu Ahmadah, the director of the Department of Buildings and International Projects at the Ministry of Education, told Al Mamlaka TV.

According to the 2022 annual statistical report from the Ministry of Education, the number of schools in Jordan increased to over 7,300 schools by the end of 2022, compared to 7,127 in 2021.

This figure is composed of 4,005 government schools, compared to 3,967 in 2021. There are also 3,093 private schools, representing an increase of 150 schools compared to the 2,943 private schools registered in 2021.

Last year, there were 2,244,751 students, with 1,634,673 students attending public schools and 466,224 students attending private institutions, said the report. 

The annual cost of maintaining Jordan’s schools, a continual process, amounts to JD14 million, Abu Ahmadah said.

In 2020, the Ministry of Education carried out maintenance work on 39 schools and constructed six new buildings. In 2021, maintenance was done on 51 schools, and nine new buildings were constructed. The next year, the ministry did maintenance work on 42 schools and constructed 12 new buildings, which included both additional classrooms and fully integrated schools, said Abu Ahmadah.