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Ammon News - Helen Grant MP, the British Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Girls’ Education visited Jordan 18-22 June to see the UK’s work on improving access and quality of education for vulnerable boys and girls, and the longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Education.

She visited a variety of different UK funded education programmes and spoke to different partners in Jordan, highlighting the UK’s efforts internationally to ensure all girls are able to access 12 years of quality education. She said: “Girls’ education is essential for alleviating poverty and helping economies to grow. In my visit to Jordan, I’ve been inspired by the talented and inspiring girls and young women I’ve met and all the work the UK is doing to support them to realise their potential through education.”

The Special Envoy met with the Minister of Education, international donor partners, and key education partners and stakeholders across the education sector in Jordan.
Helen Grant reiterated the importance of educating girls as “one of the most impactful development investments we can make” and repeatedly stressed the gains this has for society.

On World Refugee Day 2022, the Special Envoy visited Zaatari Refugee Camp to visit a school funded through the UK and multi-donor education programme: Accelerated Access Initiative. She also participated in a focus group with secondary school age refugee girls to understand the positive impact of education, as well as the challenges they face as vulnerable girls in continuing their education. She saw first-hand how support from the UK and the Government of Jordan is helping all children in Jordan have access to quality education.

During a meeting with the Minister of Education, the Special Envoy highlighted the benefits of reform in the curriculum and teacher training, as well as safety to ensure girls are supported to stay in and succeed in education, and are provided with the right tools to transition to further education and employment opportunities.

The Special Envoy also visited Princess Alia Secondary School to meet with Jordanian students and teachers in a school participating in the British Council International School Awards (ISA). She also engaged with young Jordanian girls supported under the UK’s Newton-Khalidi fund to discuss their experiences working on STEM careers and engaged with both Jordanian and UK partners AstroJo as well as UCL.

At a meeting with the Queen Rania Foundation, she welcomed a new partnership for a UK funded research project. She said “I’m pleased our new global education research programme, Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crises (ERICC), in Jordan will help build evidence and best practice on what works in education in order to provide greater quality of education for all children in Jordan.”

Concluding her visit, the Special Envoy said, “I’m pleased to see first-hand the impact of UK funding and partnership with the Ministry of Education to support boys and girls in Jordan with quality education. Since 2016, the UK has led the international community to support the landmark ‘Jordan Compact’ commitment made at the ‘Syria and the Region Conference’ to ensure all children regardless of their nationality will receive an education. The UK will continue to work tirelessly with the Government of Jordan to ensure all children regardless of their nationality will receive a quality education.”