Amman, May 4 (Petra) -- Minister of Education Azmi Mahafzah met Sunday with Norway’s Ambassador to Jordan, Mona Juul, to discuss bilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on education.

The meeting, held at the Ministry’s headquarters, underscored the strength of the long-standing partnership between the two countries and explored avenues to enhance collaboration across all sectors, especially in education.

Mahafzah emphasized the importance of maintaining and expanding the collaborative framework between Jordan and Norway, highlighting the ministry’s ongoing reform and development programs aimed at improving the quality of education.

He noted that Jordan currently hosts around 250,000 students from over 85 nationalities in its schools, and despite the significant pressure on its educational infrastructure due to regional crises and the refugee burden, the Kingdom remains committed to providing quality education to every child on its soil.

"Ensuring equitable access to quality education during times of crisis and emergency remains a core priority," Mahafzah said. "Education is the lifeline that helps communities recover and thrive."

The minister also shared updates on a major structural reform initiative aimed at merging the Ministry of Education with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to create a unified Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development. The reform would also centralize educational policy under a single authority by transferring responsibilities from other agencies.

Ambassador Juul reaffirmed Norway’s commitment to supporting Jordan’s education sector and praised the Kingdom’s leadership role in the region particularly its efforts in hosting refugees and delivering vital services, including education, despite limited resources.

She highlighted Norway’s readiness to back the ministry’s development plans and recognized Jordan’s resilience and humanitarian stance in addressing regional challenges.

//Petra// AA

04/05/2025 13:18:27