In Jordan, homeschooling could be just what the education system needed

In Jordan, homeschooling could be just what the education system needed

Alarm clock, breakfast, school “” in Reema Bast's family, mornings haven't changed much, even though she doesn't have to rush her three children out of the house any more. She only needs to usher them into their rooms in time for the first class. "The two older children Aoun and Saba have classes from 8am until 3pm, the youngest Jad until 12pm,“ Bast, who lives in Amman, told DW on the phone.

"We expect the children to be home for at least another six months,“ said the stay-at-home-mum. For her it feels like her children are at school, even if the house is noisier than usual. "Everyone is busy with their classes and the house is full of voices of teachers and students,“ she said.

Apart from a three-week stint in February 2021, schoolchildren and students in Jordan have been studying from home for a year. The brief re-opening of schools is believed to be the cause of the recent spike in Covid-19 infections which resulted in the current lockdown, including a strict daily curfew from 6pm to 6am and all day on Fridays.

According to a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Health last week, the Hashemite Kingdom has seen 504,915 cases of COVID-19 infections and a death toll of 5,553.

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