- Title: Changes to school curriculum spark debate, protest in Jordan
- Date: 6th October 2016
- Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (SEPTEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION VARIOUS OF PEOPLE BURNING SCHOOL CURRICULUM PILE OF SCHOOL CURRICULUM BOOKS BURNING PROTESTERS GATHERING AROUND BURNING PILE OF SCHOOL CURRICULUM PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING (Arabic): 'THE KORAN PROTECTS THE ARABIC LANGUAGE, NO TO REMOVING THE HOLY WORDS FROM THE CURRICULUM' PROTESTERS CHANTING GENDARMERIE FORCES STANDING IN FRONT OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION HEAD OF THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, BASEL FREIHAT, WITH PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE TEACHER'S ASSOCIATION, BASEL FREIHAT, SAYING: "We are here to protest against the changes to our curriculum, which was stripped of verses and the Hadith, as well as all those (verses) related to our proud history and our brave martyrs. I want to point out that the Teacher's Association is not against the development of our curricula, but we are for scientific development that is in line with our religion, Islam, and with our customs and traditions." SIGN READING (Arabic): 'STAY AWAY FROM RELIGION, AND DEVELOP AS YOU WISH' SCHOOL CHILDREN HOLDING UP SIGNS AT PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, UM SHATHA, SAYING: "We have come here today to defend our children's future, and to protect our country Jordan. I want my son or daughter to have a religious identity, to be aware. It is not logical to remove all the verses of the Koran, all the Hadith, on which everyone was raised. Even the minister, the doctor, the engineer, everyone in this country was raised on this curriculum, why do you want to change it now?" PROTESTER STANDING IN FRONT OF GENDARMERIE, HOLDING UP SIGN READING (Arabic): 'WE WILL NOT TEACH YOUR SECULARISM' GENDARMERIE FORCES LOCKING HANDS IN FRONT OF YOUNG PROTESTER YOUNG STUDENT SITTING ON MAN'S SHOULDER AND HOLDING SIGN READING (Arabic): ''NO TO CHANGING THE CURRICULUM' AMMAN, JORDAN (OCTOBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) JORDAN'S MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MOHAMMED THNEIBAT, ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH MINISTER OF MEDIA AFFAIRS, MOHAMMAD AL MOMANI JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MINISTER OF EDUCATION, MOHAMMED THNEIBAT, SAYING: "I want to assure you that our school books do not contain a single word that is at odds with our religious ideology or our religious texts. On the contrary, the (books) reinforce Islamic and humanitarian values and encourage dialogue, respect the others' opinion, as well as respect the humanity of people no matter who they are."
- Embargoed: 21st October 2016 10:43
- Keywords: books education curriculum protest school student Amman Jordan
- Location: AMMAN, JORDAN
- City: AMMAN, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00152VA3PX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Changes to Jordan's public school textbooks recently sparked anger from parents and teachers, who perceived the amendments as an attack on Islamic values.
Earlier this year, the country's Minister of Education, Mohammed Thneibat, tasked a committee of education experts to study the textbooks and suggest improvements.
The resulted curriculum broadened the content of Arabic and History textbooks to include literary and historic figures from outside the Islamic world, including Nelson Mandela. References to Christians as a component of the population were also included into some books.
The changes sparked anger among parents and members of the Teachers Association. Hundreds staged a protest last Thursday (September 29) denouncing the new curriculum and calling for the resignation of the minister.
The demonstrators also set a large pile of the new books on fire.
"We are here to protest against the changes to our curriculum, which was stripped of verses and the Hadith, as well as all those (verses) related to our proud history and our brave martyrs. I want to point out that the Teacher's Association is not against the development of our curricula, but we are for scientific development that is in line with our religion, Islam, and with our customs and traditions," said Head of the Teachers Association, Basel Freihat.
One protester said she wanted to raise her children with an awareness of Islamic culture and history, just like how she was raised.
"We have come here today to defend our children's future, and to protect our country Jordan. I want my son or daughter to have a religious identity, to be aware. It is not logical to remove all the verses of the Quran, all the Hadith, on which everyone was raised. Even the minister, the doctor, the engineer, everyone in this country was raised on this curriculum, why do you want to change it now? " said Um Shatha.
But Thneibat countered these criticisms, blaming the anger of the public on misinformation spread on social media.
In a news conference held on Wednesday (October 5), Thneibat said pictures of foreign textbooks unrelated to Jordan's new curriculum were posted on Facebook in an attempt to mislead the Jordanian public.
"I want to assure you that our school books do not contain a single word that is at odds with our religious ideology or our religious texts. On the contrary, the (books) reinforce Islamic and humanitarian values and encourage dialogue, respect the others' opinion, as well as respect the humanity of people no matter who they are," said the education minister.
During the news conference, Thneibat showed pages from the amended textbooks, which countered claims that all pictures of veiled women were removed from the new curriculum, and that all verses of the Koran were stripped of the books.
More than 1.4 million students around the country have gone back to their classrooms this September, with the new curriculum textbooks in their book bags. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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