JORDAN: Iraqi children granted access to Jordanian state schools

Jordan allows Iraqi refugee schoolchildren to attended its over-crowded state schools, and a U.S. official pledges millions of dollars in emergency funds to help uprooted Iraqi children attend schools in Jordan and other countries neighbouring Iraq. As Jordanian state schools stretch their limited resources and accept thousands of Iraqi schoolchildren residing within the Kingdom as refugees, the United States on has pledged 30 million U.S. dollars in emergency funds to help uprooted Iraqi children attend schools in Jordan and some of the other countries neighbouring Iraq. The enrollment of Iraqi students has placed a further strain on the country's state schools, at which pupils are not charged fees. Those schools are already over-crowded and operate on a two-shifts-per-day basis, according to Adnan Aref, principle of the Aseed bin Hudeir High school for Boys. "To be honest we are now facing a strain on our capabilities because they were limited capabilities to start with," Aref said. "But upon the instructions of his Majesty the King (Abdullah) and the wise government, all necessary means to absorb our Iraqi brothers were provided. All means and resources were provided for them, and their acceptance was instant and guaranteed -- what I mean is that all Iraqi students were to be accepted, so all Iraqi students who came to register were immediately accepted," he continued. About four million of Iraq's 26 million people have either fled the country for Syria, Jordan and other countries or left their homes for safer havens within Iraq, according to aid agencies. About 500,000 of those who fled are of school age and most have limited or no access to education in their host countries, which face economic problems of their own. Syria says the Iraqi influx entails massive costs to its subsidies system and put strains on public services. Jordan says its 750,000 Iraqi refugees cost one billion U.S. dollars a year, stretching the resources of a country of just 5.6 million. Yet for high school student Basma Jasem, who has been residing in Jordan for a year without going to school, the decision to integrate Iraqi school children into Jordanian state schools has changed her life and brightened her outlook. "I enrolled in school but was very sad because I was not able to before. When we came from Iraq to Jordan, we thought that we would be able to go to school in Jordan, but it turned out Iraqis could not. And then there was a decision to allow Iraqis into schools, and thank God we enrolled in schools and we're happy. We are now studying and with God's will we will pass and finish our schooling," she said. Basma's mother, Rusul Jasem, said the government's decision has greatly improved her family's life. "The children were always at home and did not know where to go, they did not go out, we would have been sleeping at this time. But now we wake up early to prepare their books and get my young boy ready for nursery. So it is better now, we have something to do. Before there was nothing to do, but now there is life in the house," Rusul Jasem said. The U.S administration has pledged 30 million U.S. dollars in emergency funds to help Iraqi schoolchildren go to school in countries hosting large numbers of Iraqi refugees. "Through the UNHCR, UNICEF, education appeal, Jordan will receive the financial assistance needed to support this commitment that they have made, this very generous commitment to their Iraqi guests," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey said. Sauerbrey added the money would contribute to a recent 129 million U.S. dollar joint appeal by U.N. agencies to get some 155,000 young Iraqi refugees into the classroom for this school year.

ITN Source | August 31, 2007

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