Jordan’s 2026‑2030 Education Plan Faces Test on Learning Outcomes and Equity

Jordan — Expanding education plans and increasing the number of programmes and initiatives are insufficient to judge the success of education reform; the real measure lies in what students learn, the extent of equal opportunity, and the school’s capacity to prepare them for life and work. This underscores the importance of the 2026‑2030 Education Plan, launched by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development in cooperation with UNESCO, at a time when learning‑achievement indicators continue to reveal deep gaps. Addressing those gaps demands more than curriculum tweaks and infrastructure upgrades; it requires a review of the effectiveness of the entire education process. The sector now faces a test: whether the transformation plan contains interventions that will yield tangible improvements in school performance, or whether its outcomes will remain tied to the number of programmes launched and buildings upgraded, without gains proportionate to the effort and spending.

Learning Gaps and Core Skills

The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), published in September 2026, shows the scale of the challenge. Only 26 % of Jordanian students reached the minimum proficiency level in reading, compared with 31 % in mathematics and 48 % in science. The OECD averages for the same year were 69 % in reading, 65 % in mathematics and 74 % in science. Consequently, the majority of Jordanian students have not attained the basic level required in reading and mathematics; science results, while relatively better, remain well below the international average. Although performance has improved since the 2022 PISA, the persistent gap indicates that recovery in some indicators does not mean the problem is solved. Reform must therefore target core learning skills rather than merely revising curricula or introducing new classroom tools. These skills — understanding texts, thinking logically, solving problems and continuing learning — are linked to higher‑education prospects, training opportunities and employment, and their weakness deepens disparities linked to family background and school circumstances. The plan should set clear indicators for progress in reading, mathematics and science, tie interventions to publicly reported outcomes and identify the groups and schools most in need of support. Success should be judged by what students become capable of understanding and applying, not by what is added to the curriculum.

Equity in School Environments

Education gaps extend beyond academic achievement to the conditions in which students learn. Overcrowding, double‑shift systems, unequal facilities and difficulties in providing an appropriate school environment limit teachers’ ability to follow up with students and meet their needs, while affecting the time and quality of learning. Official data indicate that the double‑shift system operates in about 800 public schools, reflecting pressure on Jordan’s education capacity. Addressing this challenge should not be limited to constructing more buildings or redistributing pupils; it requires examining regional disparities, class sizes, the availability of laboratories and facilities, and the actual time allocated for teaching. This is especially relevant when comparing schools in the capital with those in outlying areas and across different socioeconomic backgrounds. A pupil attending a school with inadequate facilities or limited space does not start from the same conditions as a pupil in a better‑equipped institution. If the plan overlooks these differences, expanding programmes could benefit some learners while leaving the most disadvantaged outside the circle of benefit. The government therefore needs a detailed map of educational needs by region and school, together with clear criteria for allocating resources according to the scale of the problem rather than mere expansion. Educational equity is not achieved by giving everyone the same service, but by ensuring equal learning opportunities while directing extra resources to schools with the greatest needs to narrow the gap.

Teacher Development and Digital Tools

Sustainable transformation cannot be achieved without placing teachers at the heart of the development process. Modern curricula and digital technologies do not automatically yield better learning; their effectiveness depends on teachers’ ability to use them, identify students’ difficulties, diversify teaching methods and assess skills rather than focusing primarily on information. PISA 2025 data show that principals of schools attended by 39 % of students reported that teacher shortages hindered teaching to some extent, compared with 57 % in 2022. Although the figure has declined, it remains an indicator of a challenge that cannot be resolved through training alone. Professional development calls for a stable working environment, fair teacher distribution and alignment between specialisations and schools’ actual needs. It is also essential to distinguish between teacher‑training activities carried out by the ministry and the impact of that training on classroom practices and student outcomes. Merely counting courses and participants is insufficient to gauge the success of professional‑development programmes unless it is accompanied by measurements of changes in teaching methods, teachers’ capacity to address low achievement and the extent of continuous professional support they receive. Reform must also strengthen the status of teachers, reduce duties unrelated to direct teaching and involve them in curriculum development and programme evaluation. Teachers form the foundation of the education process; those lacking the necessary tools, time and support cannot be expected to compensate on their own for structural weaknesses within schools.

Digital Transformation and AI Oversight

Digital development presents another challenge for the plan: moving beyond the mere provision of devices and platforms toward building students’ ability to use technology for learning, research and analysis. PISA 2025 results reveal that 41 % of Jordanian students use AI‑powered chatbots to assist with learning at least once a week, compared with an OECD average of 46 %. This reflects the growing presence of such tools in students’ lives, but it does not by itself prove that their use improves learning. Benefiting from these tools requires skills in verifying information, distinguishing accurate answers from misleading ones, respecting academic integrity, protecting privacy and narrowing the digital divide between learners with device and internet access and those without. Digital transformation should therefore not be limited to introducing technology into classrooms or training pupils to use specific applications; it must be linked to a defined educational objective and subjected to evaluation that measures its impact on achievement and critical thinking. Technology that does not address a clear educational problem risks becoming an additional cost rather than a tool for improving learning.

Linking Education to Labour Market

Education quality is also linked to the system’s ability to prepare students for the requirements of economic and social life. This does not mean reducing the role of schools to merely meeting labour‑market needs, but rather ensuring that graduates possess basic, digital and language skills, as well as the capacity to continue learning and adapt to changes in the workplace. Achieving this requires reviewing the connection between curricula and practical application, expanding problem‑solving and teamwork‑based learning opportunities, strengthening early career guidance and fostering cooperation between schools, training institutions and employers. It also demands continuous assessment of the skills needed by the Jordanian economy rather than assuming that qualifications alone guarantee employment opportunities. However, aligning education with the labour market is not the sole responsibility of schools; employment is also shaped by the economy’s capacity to create suitable jobs, wage levels, working conditions and investment opportunities. Education reform should therefore not be presented as a stand‑alone solution to unemployment. Instead, its role in narrowing the skills gap and improving young people’s readiness for current and future opportunities should be emphasised.

Accountability and Classroom Impact

The most important challenge facing the 2026‑2030 plan remains how to measure its success. Reports that track the number of upgraded schools, programmes implemented, teachers trained and devices distributed give information about implementation but do not necessarily reveal improvements in learning, equity or graduate readiness. To prevent the plan from becoming a list of administrative achievements, it needs clearly defined and publicly announced performance indicators covering progress in reading, mathematics and science, reductions in disparities between schools and regions, lower overcrowding where it is an obstacle, enhanced teacher competencies and measurements of technology’s impact on learning. Results should be published regularly, setbacks explained, and responsibilities and corrective measures clearly identified. This also requires defining each indicator, establishing measurable targets and creating independent mechanisms for verifying results, while involving teachers, parents and students in evaluating the school environment. Accountability means more than holding institutions responsible for what they failed to implement; it means determining whether public resources have made a real difference in students’ lives.

From the Plan to the Classroom, the 2026‑2030 Education Plan offers an opportunity to reorder priorities and address accumulated weaknesses. Its value will not be determined by the size of the programmes it contains, but by its ability to transform schools into environments where students learn effectively, receive fairer opportunities and acquire the skills they need for life. Monitoring indicators from the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development shows that the challenges remain interconnected — weaknesses in core skills, disparities in school environments, the need for greater teacher support, a digital transformation that requires educational guidance, and a gap between education outcomes and future requirements. Tackling each issue in isolation may improve certain aspects, but it will not guarantee comprehensive transformation. The real test of the plan is whether its impact becomes visible inside the classroom: whether students learn to understand and analyse rather than simply memorise; whether teachers have the tools and support they need; whether a school’s material conditions no longer determine its pupils’ opportunities; and whether the system publicly reports its results and corrects course when it fails. Only then can it be said that education reform has moved beyond planning and implementation to produce genuine change in the quality of education in Jordan.

According to Al‑Ghad.