Pre-Primary Education in Jordan: Issues of Access and Participation

Abstract

Pre-primary education in Jordan is still facing several barriers especially at the time of massive influx of Syrian refuges to the country. This study came to examine the detailed profiles of out-of-school children at pre-primary stage in Jordan in order to highlight the major barriers to school access and participation, analyze existing and emerging education policies and strategies to tackle key bottlenecks; and provide recommendations for improvement to policy makers. Data were collected from several sources utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results showed that 41% (45,862) of pre-primary Jordanian students are currently not enrolled in schools. Additionally, female students seem to be more willing to attend pre-primary schools (59.7%) comparing to their male counterparts (58.3%). Several recommendations were offered to enhance the access and participation of pre-primary children in schools such as; establishing more pre-primary centers in urban areas and providing specialized professional development for Pre-primary teachers. (150 words)