Jordan is altering its school curriculum to incorporate more notions of human rights, according to the Jordanian daily A-Dustour.
Fawaz Jaradat, head of the Education Ministry’s curriculum department, said the new reforms correspond to developments on the national level and are an essential element in advancing a national sentiment in young Jordanian pupils, and developing their sense of national belonging.
The notions to be integrated will focus on human rights in resisting occupation, differentiating between ‘terror’ and ‘legitimate resistance’ and defining terror. Other concepts highlighted in the new curriculum are the right to justice and freedom of opinion, speech and assembly.
Jaradat said all these ideas would equip young students with essential elements which will help them contend with their future.
Jordan joins other countries in the Arab world incorporating changes in their education curriculums. The Kuwaiti education minister announced last week that he wishes to eradicate any ambiguous texts that may promote terror, and is currently facing verbal attacks by Kuwaiti parliamentarians who fear that religious studies will be undermined in the process.
Similar notions are being discussed in Saudi Arabia.