Amman, Sept. 29 (Petra) - The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development and UNICEF hosted an orientation meeting on Tuesday to introduce the Schools Teaching for Learning Recovery (ST4LR) program.

The ST4LR program combines targeted literacy and math recovery modules, teacher professional development, early warning tracking systems, and child protection services to create a safer, more effective learning environment for students across Jordan.

The ministry's Director of Educational Research Jumaa Saud stated that the program aligns with Jordan's Education Strategic Plan 2026–2030.

It seeks to accelerate recovery in foundational reading and math skills, improve classroom instruction, and prevent student dropouts through targeted support and child protection measures.

The program prioritizes teaching quality, educator professional development, and early detection systems to support vulnerable students before they lag academically, according to Saud.

The project will launch across 50 pilot schools in its first phase before scaling to 300 schools nationwide.

EU representative Fabian Schäfer stated the importance of a community-wide approach to education, urging stronger collaboration between schools, families, and local communities, with an emphasis on engaging fathers to help improve academic outcomes for male students.

He pledged the EU's continued commitment to supporting Jordan’s public education system and its most vulnerable youth.

Recent Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results showed steady improvement across core subjects in Jordan.

However, data presented by UNICEF Program Director and Education Specialist Manar Ahmed revealed a persistent gender gap, with female students continuing to outperform males in foundational subjects, even as socio-economic and geographic disparities have narrowed.

Director of the Madrasati Initiative Tala Sweis confirmed that her organization will leverage its field expertise to support rollout and implementation.

//Petra// HA