Jordan News

Sawsan Abu Ghneim

Help: Education will be direct school

pureB Private schools: fear among parents

UhTo: Private schools are educational institutions whose profits have increased at the expense of the suffering of citizens

With the approach of the new school year, the families of school students and kindergartens around the world are reluctant to register their children and reserve seats for them in private schools, as some fear a new wave of the outbreak of the Corona virus, and the possibility of returning to distance e-learning, but at the same time they fear losing their seats in their favorite schools, and fearing the negative effects of the possibility of transferring them to other schools as well.

Parents: Private schools are educational institutions whose profits have increased at the expense of the suffering of citizens

In the current situation, these parents describe the situation due to the pandemic as “unstable”, especially with the government’s warnings of the spread of a new wave of the Corona virus, and the possibility of the return of distance education, after collecting school fees from students, and on conditions that are in favor of schools at the expense of parents.

The parents of students described private schools as educational institutions whose profits increased at the expense of the crisis and the suffering of citizens, because they refused last academic year to reduce the fees for their students during the period of closing education in person, and to go to distance teaching.

They told the online newspaper, “Jordan News”, that the expenses of private schools decreased during the distance education period, by large percentages, due to the lack of electricity, water, heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, in addition to not using fuel for buses, nor maintenance costs for facilities, but this decrease was not reflected in Student fees, but took more than they deserve.

The former Minister of Education, Dr. Tayseer Al-Nuaimi, had emphasized the non-approval to increase any fees for any private school, and indicated that the ministry’s regulatory role for the private school sector, and the government had provided financial facilities for it to pay the salaries of the past months, and the percentage of benefit from these facilities reached 22 million and one hundred A, at an interest rate borne by the government, indicating that the ministry required these schools to make a student discount.

Fear and hesitation were evident on the parents during their conversation, and so far they have not forgotten the trap that their private schools set them up last year.

Nour, a mother of 4 children, and one of the parents who is confused about this matter, says, “I am afraid to pay 3000 dinars fees for my children in the private school, and they will attend them for two weeks and come back to tell us about a new wave, and I am afraid that I will register them and regret it.”

Nour considered that the recent decision implemented by private schools last year was unfair to them, especially since they did not return their fees, and they replaced distance education, which did not exceed one to three hours a day.

Hussam, the guardian of a second-year student in one of these schools, said that the tuition fees last year exhausted him and so far he has paid the rest of the amount, because he committed to the school with a contract and promissory notes that force him to pay even in light of the transition to distance education.

Hossam stressed the need for the Ministry of Education to make a contract between parents and private schools in the event of a renewal of the virus and resorting to distance education, and the commitment of all schools to it includes making discounts on the school installment for the next academic year in the event of distance education, and in the event that the working hours are normal for students, Parents are obligated to pay the full installments. It is unreasonable for the tuition fees to be equal to the actual time for distance education.

Concern still hangs over the parents of private school students, so Maryam was forced to withdraw her children’s papers and submit them in public schools, stressing that she prefers public education at the present time because there are no decisions or a clear vision in private schools.

Private Schools Syndicate: Parents’ fear

For their part, the head of the Private Schools Syndicate, Munther Al-Sourani, said that the migration of students from private to government schools was significantly during the past year.

Al-Sourani added to “Jordan News” that the picture is not clear about the form of education, either face-to-face or from a distance, but the epidemiological situation is what determines its form.

He pointed out that there is a great fear from parents about the form of education and there will be a return to private schools, and 2021 will be better because of vaccination and epidemiological stability, noting that distance education made parents transfer their children to government schools for financial reasons and that face-to-face education motivates parents more to go to private schools.

He indicated that private schools are preparing for face-to-face education, despite their fear of converting it.

According to Al-Sourani, the Corona pandemic caused great losses to private schools due to the transfer of students to government schools after switching to distance learning, which led to a significant financial damage.

The Ministry of Education announced earlier that the new school year will be ready, after a massive vaccination campaign, through which the government seeks to reach a safe summer and return to normal life.

Help: Education will be direct school

The media spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Dr. Ahmed Al-Masa’fa, confirmed that education for the first semester of 2021-2022 will be face-to-face.

Al-Masafa said that the students will return to their seats, where education will be direct school, stressing that the ministry has plans, preparations and periodic meetings in order to return to schools.

Al-Masafa confirmed that the ministry is constantly following up on the epidemiological situation in Jordan, in order to ensure the continuation of the educational process, in a manner that preserves the health and safety of students, in accordance with the safe school protocol.

Al-Masafa reassured the parents and asked them not to be afraid, stressing that the Ministry is keen on the safety of their children, and the safety of the public educational process.