Maths Curriculum goes live, Jordan education initiative begins delivering

Launched at the World Economic Forum at its Extraordinary meeting at the Dead Sea in June 2003, the JEI now counts has over 17 global corporations, 17 local entities, and various governmental and non-governmental organizations actively involved.

"By implementing such a model, the Government of Jordan, together with World Economic Forum member companies and organizations, are working to provide Jordanian youth with a nurturing and supportive environment that enables each child to pursue his or her purpose through a process of self-discovery, experiential learning and self-determination." stated Emile Cubeisy, Jordan Education Initiative Program Director.

One hundred "Discovery Schools" have been selected to pilot the scheme in Jordan. They will serve as a test bed of how ICT can enable new systems to be used and benefit schools and their pupils. Though focused on the advancement of learning in Jordan, the plan also provides the opportunity for the sustained development of the local information technology industry through infrastructure and e-content development.

In keeping with the rich mathematical heritage of the country, Maths has been the first curriculum to be rolled out to over 13 schools in Amman, impacting 120 math teachers and 12,000 students, with deployment underway to an additional 37 schools. The design and development of the curricula have been to stringent standards using inputs from
internationally renowned educational experts while carefully maintaining local values. The curricula development process has been a great example of how local business have benefited from the JEI. The partnership of Rubicon with Cisco and that of Menhaj with Microsoft have brought Jordanian companies valuable international expertise and demonstrate the ability of local Jordanian companies to form effective international partnerships. Another unique attribute of the JEI has been the strong commitment of its contributing partners. Companies have contributed resources not just in cash and equipment but also in mind share and effort from senior management. Computer Associates is a good example of a partner that has contributed by seconding a senior manager to support the Project Management office at Amman. "This initiative represents an exciting opportunity to see what is possible when there is a coordinated effort between public, private, and non-profit organizations. We are proud to have been able to play a role in improving opportunities for young people in the Kingdom." said Tae Yoo, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Cisco Systems. Such commitment has indeed now shown results.

The learning model used by the JEI as well as the curriculum and quality of content are currently undergoing assessment by the British Council. Additional assessments and independent reviews are planned to benchmark the work done against the best in class.

Other curricula that are to be launched include Science (in partnership with Fastlink), Arabic (in partnership with France Telecom/Jordan Telecom), English (in partnership with MEPI), and ICT (in partnership with Microsoft).

To complement the Discovery Schools track, the Jordan Education Initiative also features a Lifelong Learning and an ICT Industry Development track. "The JEI lifelong learning track provides the perfect vehicle for businesses and workers to access and maintain globally competitive skills and knowledge. It is also creating skills rich environment attractive for international investments in Jordan" says Colum Joyce, DHL e-Business Strategy Manager.

The momentum of the JEI is already receiving much attention from governments and agencies all over the world hoping to learn from it. An aggressive outreach program aimed at developing the potential for replication of the solution will be launched shortly.