The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, the Civil Service Bureau, and the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission for Higher Education Institutions.

The event was attended by Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research Mohammad Abu Qudais,  the secretary generals of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the Civil Service Bureau, according to a USAID statement.

The programme will be offered at Jordan, Yarmouk and Hashemite Universities. The universities join the pilot program at Mutah University to prepare university students who want to be teachers to become certified educators equipped with the knowledge and skills to deliver a high-quality learning experience for students.

The professional diploma will allow male and female graduates, aspiring to teach grades 4 through 10, supplement their subject-specific degree studies with skills related to interactive teaching methods, effective classroom management and integration issues such as gender equity, inclusion of students with disabilities, and environmental awareness, read the statement.

These programmes will give teachers the tools and confidence to make their classes more engaging and have a positive impact on the student’s learning experience.

In his opening remarks, Abu Qudais commended the coordination and continuous communication between all partners and stakeholders, as well as their commitment to implementing the programme.

He also expressed his gratitude to the USAID for their support and implementation of this programme.

USAID Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin said: “The United States is committed to investing in the enormous potential of Jordan’s aspiring teachers.”

“We are proud to partner with the Ministry of Higher Education and Jordan’s public universities to train teachers throughout Jordan so they enter the classroom with the most innovative and advanced skills,” Carlin said.

With accredited pre-service education programmes being expanded at four universities throughout Jordan, more prospective teachers will gain invaluable skills and be able to provide quality education to students in rural and urban areas of diverse socio-economic backgrounds, the statement said.

Public schools in Jordan are gender-segregated after third grade, and boys consistently underperform girls. Through Pre-Service Teacher Education in Jordan, aspiring male teachers for grades 4 through 10 will have access to pedagogical training at universities for the first time to gain practical experience to help their students learn, according to the statement.

The United States government, through USAID, has provided foreign assistance from the American people to Jordan for 70 years.