Bani Mustafa stresses education equality at ministerial roundtable 

AMMAN — Jordan has doubled efforts to develop the national educational system, working towards achieving a comprehensive elementary education and maintaining equal educational opportunities regardless of gender, Social Development Minister Wafa Bani Mustafa said on Wednesday.

Participating in a ministerial round tables under the theme “Good practices in addressing barriers to bridge the digital gender divide and promote education in the digital age for achieving gender equality”, held on the sidelines of Commission on the Status of Women's 67th session, Bani Mustafa noted that digital education is an important pillar for public education. 

She also said that the Ministry of Education had taken "rapid and positive" steps towards digital education, in terms of providing Internet access to public schools. Internet access is currently available in 92 per cent of schools in Jordan, she said. 

Bani Mustafa explained that the Edraak platform was the first free Arab online learning platform that enabled women and girls in Jordan of all ages to receive quality education from their homes free of charge.

The minister added that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition of digital education, as the Kingdom has taken measures to ensure the success of digital education, and has launched the Emergency Education Plan 2020-2023 to provide a sustainable, interactive and responsive learning environment, promoting distance education through televised lessons and virtual learning.

Bani Mustafa also participated in the session of the UN Security Council titled "Women, Peace, and Security: Towards the 25th anniversary of resolution 1325," which was organised by Mozambique. 

Addressing the meeting, Bani Mustafa said that for decades, Jordan has fulfilled its international obligations to ensure respect for human rights through ratifying numerous treaties on the promotion of human rights, including the safeguarding of women's rights.