Executive Update

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Jordan Education Initiative

• Executive Update
• January 17th 2006

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How we started?

• A group of nonprofit, Information Technology
  (IT), and telecom industry leaders in the World
  Economic Forum (WEF) agreed to join forces to
  improve education within one developing country
• Jordan was selected because of the countrys
  vision for the future of education and its people
• In early 2002, the WEF organized an Initiative
  kick-off meeting in London, inviting
  organizations from around the world to
  participate in the Jordan Education Initiative
  (JEI).
• The JEI was conceived at the extraordinary IT
  and Telecom Governance meeting at the WEF meeting
  in January, 2003
• The JEI was launched in the WEF Jordan meeting in
  June 2003 at the Dead Sea

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ADDRESSING the Challenges facing Jordan

• Disconnection between the education Jordan is
  providing for its children, and the economy they
  have to enter into as adults
• Disconnection in the Economy
• Disconnection in Teaching and Learning
• Disconnection in Learning Technologies
• Disconnection in the Marketing of Emerging
  Capacity.

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Supporting a National Agenda of Reform

• The JEI runs parallel to and shares dependencies
  with two existing national programs in Jordan
• Jordans Education Reform for the Knowledge
  Economy (ERfKE) program, the largest ever
  education reform program supported and funded by
  the World Bank. The JEI is providing ERfKE with a
  rapid prototype model for discovering best
  practices and lessons learned by fast-tracking
  some aspects of the education reform
• The National Broadband Learning and Research
  Network is a nationwide high-speed broadband
  network connecting all of Jordans public
  schools, universities, community colleges, and
  community access centers set to reach 1.5 million
  learners by 2006

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An Act of Discovery with Global Significance

• Program Objectives
• Improve the development and delivery of education
  to Jordans citizens through public-private
  partnership
• Unleash the innovation of teachers and students
  through the effective use of ICT
• Build the capacity of the local information
  technology industry
• Leverage environment of national government
  commitment and corporate citizenship to build a
  model of reform.

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UNIQUE STRATEGY IS FLEXIBLE AND NON-DETERMINISTIC
Strategic principles
Broad, ambitious blueprint that uses ICTs as
catalyst to change education system and
accelerate Jordans development into a knowledge
economy
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Flexible structure that allows for partner-driven
innovation and interpretation of project
objectives, creating market place for ideas and
test-bed for experimentation
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Holistic educational policy underlying the
program objectives that takes into account the
need for change at the curricular, teacher, and
administrator levels
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Fast-track approach that allows for rapid-paced
change in a small set of schools, freeing the
program from the constraints of roll-out
feasibility
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A Convergence of Partners from a Wide Spectrum of
Perspectives and Expertise
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More than USD25m in contributions
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The JEI Project Structure Emphasizes the Focus on
Cross-Constituent Collaboration
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Summary of Outputs Achieved
High
Low
Key Results
Issues
Objective 1 Improve the development and delivery
of education to Jordans citizens through
public-private partnership

• Over 46 global and local partners, from public
  and private sectors, actively engaged
• Assessment framework to measure the impact on the
  learning experience developed

• Quantifying the benefits and improvements on the
  students

Objective 2 Unleash the innovation of teachers
and students through the effective use of ICT

• Math online is being tough in 87 Discovery
  Schools
• Additional e-Curricula is being piloted and
  deployed at varying levels in Discovery Schools.
  The e-Curricula include ICT, Arabic, English,
  Science, and Civics
• Technology infrastructure completed in all
  Discovery Schools

• E-Curricula development exceeding initial
  expectations (e.g., 6 subjects instead of 4)
  managing the deployment is proving to be an
  extremely complex process

Objective 3 Build the capacity of the local
information technology industry

• US25million of investments and projects to date
• Launched the Student Technology Innovation Center
  (STIC)

Objective 4 Leverage environment of national
government commitment and corporate citizenship
to build a model of reform

• Kick-off of World Economic Forum
  sponsored-initiatives in 3 countries
• Discussions with gt12 countries in region on
  expansion of model

• No clear involvement of the JEI in the Global
  Education Initiative being formed

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Risks and Challenges

• The deployment process of the newly developed
  curricula, teacher training, and technology in
  the 100 Discovery Schools is proving to be
  extremely complex and may require additional time
  the originally planned
• The World Economic Forum sponsorship to the
  initiative will most likely end in June 2006.
  The impact on future partners commitment is
  uncertain
• The role of the JEI in specific, and the
  government of Jordan in general in the formation
  and implementation of the GEI is unclear
• Lack of clarity around future purpose of JEI and
  role of the JEI as it pertains to ERfKE and the
  broader social development agenda

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REALIZING Innovation with Global Significance
Successful Experience Up to Date
Highest Levels of Commitment
Jordan Continues To be a Leader in Innovation
in Education

• Jordan is one of the most, if not the most,
  active environment for partners committed to
  supporting social and industry development
• Initiative featured in Financial Times, Forbes,
  Times of London, and other global media as a
  unique model of cooperation

• A lot needs to be done, and partners are
  committed to pushing the process to the next
  level
• True commitment by the government to be an active
  driver and catalyst to the process

• Well respected, transparent and effective
  government system
• Willingness to undertake reform initiatives
  within relevant sectors
• Strategic importance of country to international
  community
• Perceived accessibility and openness of culture

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Our Path FORWARD

• Continue the implementation and roll-out of JEI
  across the Kingdom
• Revisit the objectives and scope of JEI
• Determine the governance and management model
  essential to realize objectives
• Continue the development of innovative products

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SEIZING The Future

• Institutionalization of the JEI thought process
  into a Regional Center for Innovation in Learning
• Development of a service model that catalyzes
  continuous innovation through local-regional-globa
  l partnerships
• Communicating the Jordan Education Initiative as
  an incubator for dynamic dialogue on education
  reform
• Delivery of regional and international solutions
  that advance education agendas of nations

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• Thank you