At the start of the 1990s, education reform was prioritised by the Jordanian government which led to substantial investments in the development of human resources over the past three decades; ultimately resulting in a concreteoverall improvement in performance on the Human Development Index.
Jordan continues to build on these achievements, which is demonstrated by its recent commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Despite Jordan’s remarkable achievements and numerous initiatives pursued by the government and different stakeholders, to reform the education sector, several challenges still persist. One major challenge is accountability within the education
system.
This paper seeks to provide insights into the challenges and gaps in accountability, as well as explore inter-linkages with the legal framework, and the challenges of decentralisation and governance. To this end, a review of the relevant literature, and fieldwork research were conducted to identify obstacles related to access to education and the provision of quality education and a supportive learning environment in Jordan.
In addition to a learning event was held entitled “Fostering a Culture of Accountability for improving the Learning Environment for Children in Jordan” in order to discuss the findings of the project “Education for the Future:Communities of Learning among Syrians and Jordanians in Host Communities” with a wider stakeholder community. The areas highlighted are the following:
- The Legal framework: issues of access, quality, and equity.
- Communication and Accountability: communication between schools and parents,the Ministry of Education, and other stakeholders (civil society/community involvement).
- Decentralisation and Governance: autonomy of schools, national decentralisation, the role of the local community.
