Switzerland & Canada To Provide Educational Support In Partnership With MoE & UNESCO

KUALA LUMPUR, 16.7.2021 – In support of the ‘System Strengthening Partnership’ program (SSP) consisting of Jordan’s Ministry of Education with UNESCO and the Ministry of Education, Switzerland has contributed an amount of USD 1.6 million to the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF). Additionally, Canada also announced their contribution of USD 400,000 to the fund.

The SSP began as a four-year program to support the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) ‘Education Strategic Plan’ (ESP) to strengthen the education system as a core domain. With the recent contribution, Switzerland joined Canada, Norway, and Italy to support this joint led by MoE and UNESCO.

Canada’s initiative in delivering the first donor has paved a way for the program to support a much stronger and efficient education system in Jordan.

Recently, a ceremony was held by the Ministry of Education to welcome Switzerland as a new member of the MPTF. Officiated by the Minister of Education, Prof. Moh’d Abu Qudais, he stated; “both contributions from Switzerland and Canada illustrate the common goal of providing quality education for all in Jordan through effective and constructive coordination with Jordan’s Ministry of Education.”

The commencement of this new collaboration coincided with the completion of Switzerland’s partnership with the Ministry of Education to rehabilitate 89 public schools to accommodate the citizens of Jordan and refugee students. Hence, the ceremony marked an important step towards the nation’s long-term support for enhanced governance and crisis resolution in the Education Strategic Plan.

The ambassador of Canada, Ms. Donica Pottie, emphasized that the education sector was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing schools to close down. However, Jordan acted quickly to address the situation, providing distance learning for children and boldly facing the crisis head on.

Through this program, UNESCO continues to support MoE in strengthening the core functions of the MPTF in planning, budgeting, research and development, data management, logistics, coordination, and constant monitoring of the situation.

A UNESCO representative, Ms. Min Jeong Kim, highlighted that in alignment with the government’s plans, the project was on its way to a success story as long as it had its priorities and goals in order, as well as adapted to the needs of the Ministry of Education.

“With these generous contributions from Switzerland and Canada, together with existing support for Norway and Italy, it will further strengthen the education sector and allow us to focus on the operations and development of risk management and crisis planning,” she stated.