Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Azmi Mahafazah on Tuesday inaugurated the Jordanian-Korean Industrial Secondary School for Boys in Zarqa, which was funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea at a cost of $24 million with a capacity of about 600 students.
Vocational education in Jordan has been a key royal interest as it is an engine of economic growth that positively impacts sustainable development and helps reduce unemployment and poverty rates, Mahafzah said in remarks at the opening ceremony.
He said that the ministry seeks to translate royal visions into tangible action to bring radical change in vocational education through the ministry’s plan to keep pace with “the acceleration of technology and advancement of knowledge” and meet local market needs.
The Zarqa school is an education model and knowledge center and is a fruit of cooperation with the government of the Republic of Korea, through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Dong Eui University, the implementing partner, in addition to the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Education Ministry, said the minister.
He stressed the importance of joint cooperation to benefit from the Korean expertise and international specifications and standards that were taken into account in building the school’s facilities and providing them with furniture and equipment and latest technologies.
The minister also mentioned training programs in Jordan and South Korea for teachers and administrators and staff of the Career Guidance Center, as well as developing a vocational guidance program in the six majors for the eleventh and twelfth grade students, including electricity, auto electrics, auto mechanics, air conditioning and refrigeration, welding and metalwork and carpentry.
For his part, South Korean Ambassador Lee Jae-wan thanked KOICA and the Jordanian education ministry for their efforts to make the school project a success, which, he said, is added to successes made as a result of ongoing cooperation between the two countries.
Zarqa Education Director Ahmed Ayasra said the school has an estimated capacity of 300 students in the first secondary class and another 300 in the second secondary class with a staff of more than 65 teachers and administrators.
It also has a career guidance center with a specialized cadre to help reduce unemployment through directing students professionally and working to find job opportunities in partnership with various economic sectors in Zarqa governorate and beyond, said Ayasra.
Source: Jordan News Agency