Education Reform Act of 2021

Educational Reform Act of 2021

Problem(s):

First, The Hashemite royal family ruling Jordan consists of 82 individuals who live an expensive and lavish lifestyle. Because their lifestyle is expensive, they have the tendency to ‘tap into Jordan’s General Fund,” stripping it of money for important societal needs. This lifestyle is so expensive that it has been exhausting the country’s resources at the expense of the most necessary and basic needs of a developing society – Education

Second, at one time, Jordan was renowned for education in the Middle East. Today, Jordan’s educational system is outdated and underdeveloped, and trains or produces professions that the country needs (from bus drivers and electricians to doctors, professors and educators). As a result, Jordan and her people are suffering and not part of the economic growth expected in the 21st century. 

Third, Jordan’s universities have turned into little more than degree mills, offering hope with the prospects of finding employment practically zero. 

Fourth, Jordanians are paying huge tuition fees for what can only be considered the most mediocre education in the region, with a large part of the interest garnered from the fees going directly to the King and his loyalists.

These four factors have left Jordanian youth unwilling (and unable), to attend university, earn a high school or college degree, and take their place in the 21 century market place. 

EXAMPLE(s):  

Over the past 21 years of the King’s reign, he has made many promises to improve education. Even with these promises, his family’s theft of money has created major regional problems. Here are a few of the examples:

  • The suburbs remain without teachers;
  • Schools operate using an outdated unified Tawjeehi exam system, a system that keeps many from becoming educated;
  • Where classrooms that have educators, they are using impracticable and/or irrelevant systems and lesson plans, which means that the system is wasting the lives of high school students;
  • The outdated Tawjeehi exam puts students and their families through crushing pressure, pressure that is no longer necessary or useful in advancing either their knowledge or future career choices;
  • Schools use quotas systems, which are used to deny people the opportunity to learn;
  • Combined, many are denied the opportunity to learn, with a focus on women and minorities. These groups are often held back and denied the ability to learn and compete in the Jordanian market place;
  • With a lack of employment and poor training, the kingdom has failed to provide learning incentives – after all, when one graduates there are no jobs in the market place for them.

Proposed Solution(s): Specifics – not in order of importance – Pass legislation that:

  • Supports the establishment of a Jordanian Motto;
  • Eliminate the Quote System;
  • Expand Schools and Universities;
  • End exclusive clubs where entry is assigned by the King;
  • End the Tawjeehi Examination system;
  • Expand professional career training;
  • Allow Universities to establish their own standards and admission requirement(s);
  • Hire and attract international faculty members – of all ages, races, religions, and sexes;
  • Re-Establish the American University of Amman;
  • Expand regional educational agreements;
  • Provide graduation incentives – including small business loans;
  • Help use, train and award computers to students of all ages, races and sexes;
  • Create specialized income tax exemptions for those who gradate, especially in specialty careers;
  • Increase educator wages and rights;
  • Establish trade schools to teach needed professions.

POSSIBLE SUPPORT:

  • School students and their families
  • Educators
  • Economists and businesses
  • UNESCO and other international educational organizations
  • International banking and loan entities

Possible Opposition:

  • The king and the royal court which has access to billions of dollars with no accountability or transparency;
  • Corrupt corporate educational bodies who are affiliated with the royal family (or owned by it), including private universities, private schools and private training centers.

Arguments In Support: This measure will

  • Secure Jordan’s educational future;
  • This measure will help Jordanians compete in the 21st century;
  • Help establish equality and diversity within the nation;
  • Open Jordan’s doors to the outside;
  • Leave no Jordanian behind;
  • Help adhere to requirements that are established by international organizations like the International Monetary Fund;

Arguments In Opposition:

  • Because we are required to support the King and the Royal families use of General Fund monies, Jordan does not have the money for this;
  • The Tawjeehi exam is the only system that secures equality;
  • Hindering the Royal family will hurt Jordan’s image around the world;

PUBLICITY:

  • This legislation will receive wide-spread publicity from the following sources:
    • Local, State and National Jordanian News Media
    • Regional News Media
    • International News Media

HISTORY:

  • No such proposal has ever been introduced in the Jordanian parliament for fear of arrest, imprisonment, torture and possible death.

FISCAL EFFECT: This legislation will:

  • This legislation will stimulate the economy in several ways:
    • Construction of new facilities will put people to work;
    • Educated students will help create a thriving economy
    • Loans will help graduates economically;
    • All money spend in the country, by the country, will stimulate the economy;
    • Stimulating the economy will create jobs;
    • With more money, Jordan’s infrastructure problems will be taken care of; 

Section Affected: As Per Drafting Authority

Language Attached: Structurally, this is an omnibus bill. As such, this measure can be broken down into individual laws. Combined, all of the following language will provide ‘fixes’ to the above mentioned concepts.

Section 1:  Name: This Act shall be known as the Education Reform Act of 2021  

Section 2: The official Motto of Jordan’s education system shall be:  “Education is the highest form of Service Jordanians can give to their country”

Section 3: Intent

This Act establishes three specific sets of Intent, one for the Educational System, one for Educators and one for Students; 

Section 4: Educational Institution’s Intent & Purpose

  1. Motto: “World Class Institutions For Tomorrow’s Economic Competition”
  2. Expanding Jordan’s university system by expanding or constructing facilities and accepting more students into critical majors such as medicine and law;
  3. Ending “exclusive clubs” where entry into a program is assigned directly by the King’s office;
  4. Ending the Jordanian Tawjeehi while making admission to universities based on each university’s standards and own admission requirement(s);
  5. Inaugurating the American University in Amman, which will have international faculty members who are Western educated;
  6. Establishing education agreements with other countries that fosters the exchange of academic knowledge and students;
  7. Provide Educational Professionals with regular salary increases and continuing education;
  8. Attract Education Professionals from other nations to teach in our school system
  9. Create trade programs that will provide Jordanians with quality work skills.

Section 5: Educator Intent and Purpose

  1. Motto: “Educators Are The Bedrock Of The Nation’s Educational System”;
  2. To deliver quality Personal Protective Equipment for protection from the Coved 19 virus;
  3. Help with the Unionization of all Educators into collective bargaining units;
  4. The Release of Educators from jail who have been imprisoned for peaceful protesting;
  5. The expungement of the criminal records for all Educators who were arrested for protesting;
  6. The creation of enhanced credentials and payment waivers for educators who were arrested for protesting;
  7. All educators shall be declared Essential Workers;
  8. Create Educator tax breaks for those who spend their own money on classroom supplies;
  9. Establish, enhance or expand Educator’s pension fund(s);
  10. Help with obtaining Educational, Home and Consumer loans at reduced interest rates;
  11. Reward educator benefits to include enhanced credit ratings.

Section 6: Student Intent and Purpose

  1. In an effort to create a viable working class and jobs that put quality food on the table, Jordan adopts the following small business loan program:
    • Anyone graduating from High School will receive a loan of $1,500 aimed at financing any form of occupational skills, foreign languages, life skills, or a trip abroad for education purposes;
    • Anyone enrolled in a 2-year college will receive a loan of up to $3,500;
    • Anyone enrolled in a 4-year college graduate will receive a loan of up to $20,000;
    • Anyone enrolled in graduate degree in the level of master’s will receive a loan of up to $15,000;
    • Anyone enrolled in a Doctorate Program will receive a loan of up to $35,000;
    • Anyone enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate program in an American Ivy League university, Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Stanford University will receive full grant to cover their expenses from the Jordanian government;
    • Anyone enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate program either Oxford or Cambridge universities of the UK will receive a full grant to cover their expenses from the Jordanian government;
    • Anyone enrolled in any of NASA’s educational programs will receive a full grant covering their expenses in by the Jordanian government;
    • Anyone enrolled in any graduate program in a preset designed American or British non-Ivy League, MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, university will receive a grant to cover their expenses. The list of these universities will be based on the best universities in the US and UK that still do not top the list like Ivy League schools but still offer excellent education in certain fields.
  2. With the enactment of this Act, Jordan will be establishing specific tax incentives, for educating, training and hiring those designated by the United Nations as refugees.
  • Section 7:  Budget
    • The Jordanian Budget shall be expanded by $20,000,000,000 ($20 billion dollars) over the next 5 fiscal years;
    • $4 Billion shall be spent every years as follows:
      • $1 Billion for School Facility Construction and improvement;
      • $1.5 Billion for the School Loan Programs outlined in Section 6;
      • $1.5 Billion for Staff, overhead and operations.
  • Section 8: Tax code
    •  The Jordanian tax code shall be adjusted to reflect the following:
      • All loans provided in accordance with this Act are not taxable
      • No person who is eligible for, or participates in, this program will pay personal income taxes for 4 years after graduation.