The Jordanian Ministry of Education finalized a decision to allow all expatriate Iraqi students to enroll in the country's public schools as of the beginning of this school year, including those without a residency permit, the Jordan Times report on Tuesday.
Under the current restrictions, only Iraqis holding residency permits are allowed to enroll in public schools, said the report.
"The decision came in response to the humanitarian situation the Iraqis are going through. It is meant to ensure the Iraqi children's access to education," Managing Director of General Education and Student Affairs Mohammad Okour was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
Jordan has recently called for immediate and direct assistance to help maintain the services to more than 750,000 Iraqis residing in the country, which needs around 1 billion U.S. dollars annually.
Some 50,000 Iraqi students are expected to join the country's public schools in all grades, and a student at a basic, secondary or vocational school costs the ministry an average of JD 1,000 ( about 1,412 U.S. dollars) a year, according to official figures.
Okour said the decision will add to the burden of the school system, including the already overcrowded classrooms. However, the ministry was looking into options for the solution of the issue, he said.
Source: Xinhua
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