17/12/2024 - 

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan signed with the representative of KfW office in Jordan, Meike Reils, in the presence of the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, and the German Ambassador to Amman, Dr. Bertram von Moltke, three financing agreements, including two grants of (35) million euros to contribute to financing the education sector’s needs for digital transformation, and a concessional loan of (60) million euros to support the needs of the sanitation sector.

The first grant, which is worth (20) million euros will contribute to financing the digital transformation program for vocational education, by equipping computer rooms to provide vocational education with digital technology according to the requirements of the curriculum, equipping vocational education schools with the necessary digital network equipment, and equipping the central administrative units in the Ministry of Education with information technology (IT) equipment, to enable the Ministry of Education to use IT equipment for curriculum-based digital learning to improve the quality of vocational education due to its importance in linking it to the labor market in Jordan and working to enhance its attractiveness to students and society. The project will be implemented during the period (2025-2029).

The second grant, which is worth (15) million euros, will contribute to financing the second phase of the Program for Improving Quality in Basic Education (Digitization), by equipping computer labs, classrooms, and digital workstations in primary schools, the second grant will also contribute to equipping many secondary school examination centers (tawjihi) with digital technology, including computers and the necessary digital network equipment. The project will be implemented during the period (2025-2029).

The concessional loan was allocated to finance a program titled “Sustainable disposal of wastewater”, to support the Government's efforts to improve sanitation services in various locations to expand the scope of collection and treatment processes of central wastewater the loan also contributes to environmental protection and climate change adaptation, as the anticipated measures of the project aim to increase the access for Jordanian population to a centralized wastewater system and reduce negative impacts on the environment and public health. Furthermore, the project supports expanding the use of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and efficient management of water resources in the future.

This finance is provided to support the priorities of the education and water sectors in the Kingdom within the executive program of the Economic Modernization Vision for the years (2023-2025), as the two education projects contribute to achieving the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (quality education), and the sustainable disposal of wastewater program will contribute to preserving groundwater from pollution and improving the infrastructure for sanitation services.

During the signing ceremony, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation expressed the thanks and appreciation of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the German government for its continuous support to Jordan as one of the most important development partners over the years, especially in the education, water and sanitation sectors, as Germany is one of the most important development supporters of the water and sanitation sector in Jordan through its financial and technical support.

His Excellency the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, appreciated the efforts of the German side in providing support that will effectively contribute to supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Education towards digital transformation, this support will assist in equipping of computer rooms and labs in primary schools with an amount of (15) million euros, and in vocational schools with an amount of (20) million euros during the next four years, this support is expected to bring about a significant change in the digitization process of education.

His Excellency the German Ambassador to Jordan stated that through the agreements signed today, Germany will provide modern digital equipment in primary, technical, and vocational schools, this will contribute to providing high-quality education for Jordanian students and preparing them well for the labor market. furthermore, more people in Jordan will be connected to a centralized wastewater system, thereby reducing the negative impacts on the environment and public health.