Princess Sumaya Launches the International Baccalaureate Programme for Public Schools at King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence
Amman, September 26 (Petra) -- Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS), today attended as patron the launch of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at the King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence.
The ceremony, organised by the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, was also attended by Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court HE Yousef Al-Issawi and Minister of Education and Human Resource Development HE Dr Azmi Mahafzah.
Continuing Jordan’s long and fruitful engagement with the IB, the launch marked the extension of its educational opportunities to the Kingdom’s public education system. In her remarks, Princess Sumaya welcomed this expansion of opportunity and emphasised the importance of equipping a new generation with the knowledge, skills and confidence to engage with a rapidly changing world, while preserving a strong sense of national identity and belonging.
The Kingdom’s pioneering engagement with the IB programme began in 1981, when Jordan became the first country in the region to introduce it, an initiative spearheaded by TRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan. Today, all branches of the King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence have been nominated to implement the programme, beginning in 2028.
As Chair of the Board of Trustees of ABS, Princess Sumaya has championed and supported the transfer of expertise from the school’s long experience with the IB.
Extensive preparations have included the development and equipping of facilities, as well as the training of teachers and other staff. The programme encourages independent learning, research and inquiry, while strengthening students’ ability to learn in both Arabic and English.
Dr Alia Jeradat, Director of the Directorate for Gifted and Talented Students and Director of the programme, described the launch as an important milestone in Jordan’s investment in its people.
She said the King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence were being developed not simply as schools, but as environments in which excellence can be cultivated and explored. The IB programme, she noted, supports deep learning, critical thinking, communication and collaboration, helping to bridge Jordan’s national education system with internationally recognised standards and practices.
Engineer Haif Bannayan, Director General for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Canada at the IB Organisation, highlighted Jordan’s pioneering role in the region and commended Princess Sumaya’s longstanding commitment to education and the development of young people.
He also welcomed the partnership with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development in introducing the IB Diploma Programme to the King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence.
The ceremony included a choral performance, an English-language presentation by Lilas Suleiman Abdel Fattah Al-Hawamdeh, accompanied by students Aws Bassam and Waleed Sukkarieh from the King Abdullah II School for Excellence in Al-Muqabalein, and a presentation on the Black Iris by Balqees Eyad Qarqash.
Princess Sumaya concluded the celebrations by presenting commemorative shields to several figures, while Dr Mahafzah presented a commemorative shield to Her Royal Highness.
//Petra// AK
