Touqan: Partnership between Public and Private Sectors in Pedagogy Assists in Educational Reform
09 Sep 2003Abu-Ghazaleh declares creation of Arab network within World Links International
AMMAN – The Minister of Pedagogy and Education Dr. Khaled Touqan, stated that the partnership between the public and private sectors in the pedagogical field will assist in completing educational reform for a knowledge-based economy and supporting the vision of His Majesty King Hussein the Second so that Jordan becomes an IT hub in the region.
In a speech delivered during the graduation ceremony of teachers participating in the second course of the World Links International teacher training program at the Grand Hyatt-Amman yesterday, he added that partnership with the private sector to execute the World Links program in Jordan aims to translate four stages of material to develop teachers professionally –which is affiliated with the organization- into the Arabic language and making it appropriate for the Jordanian pedagogical context, in addition to enabling teachers to integrate IT and communications technology in the classroom through their educational practices.
Dr. Touqan pointed out that issues such as equipping teachers with computer skills through continuous workshops to develop the education profession with 540 teachers from 100 secondary schools during the current academic year, and growing cooperative projects related to the curriculum, have the effect of making both the teacher and student acquire quality information and utilize the internet with the participation and collaboration of other teachers and students.
He added that cooperation with the private sector aims to make the evaluation and monitoring tools associated with World Links conform to the Jordanian pedagogical status.
The cooperation also seeks to enable school principals to gain a better understanding of IT and communications technology and their applications in education, schools’ administration and administrative practices through organizing awareness workshops.
World Links Board of Directorsmember for the Arab Region, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, announced the creation of an Arab network within World Links to serve the Arab region and use Jordan as its headquarters. He elaborated that an initiative was being launched from Jordan to execute a World Links program that is directed at the Arab region, utilizing Arab and international resources.
He said: “We began communications with Arab states to participate in this network and began to accept donations; indeed one international firm has donated 250 thousand dollars.” He stated that the purpose of this network was utilizing IT in education and learning.
The Regional Coordinator for World Links International in the Arab region, Semra Seefo, stated that a global pedagogical network will be created by the year 2005, in order to be used by 2000 schools in 40 developing nations in addition to 2000 schools in 25 industrial countries. More than 40 thousand teachers and over 1 million students will be involved throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Arab world and central Europe.
Three of the graduates spoke about the significance of the course and skills they acquired in accordance with the strategies of dealing with the international network. They presented a number of projects and tied them in with the curriculum, and talked about safe internet usage in a fashion consistent with the culture and usage of electronic mail (e-mail) as a tool for education cooperation, communication and advancement of classroom skills.
At the end of the ceremony, the Minister distributed the graduation certificates to the 40 participants from various directorates of pedagogy and education throughout the kingdom, in addition to awarding a number of shields to parties that contributed to the venture.
The organization of this course is in accordance with a memo of understanding between the Ministry of Pedagogy and Education, the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization and the non-profit World Links International organization.
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