AMMAN — Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Sunday announced an additional JD10 million allocation to the Student Support Fund.

 

The allocation, made under Royal directives from His Majesty King Abdullah and as part of government efforts to expand support for university students, will be financed through proceeds from public auctions of distinctive vehicle licence plates, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

 

In a Prime Ministry statement, the prime minister was quoted as saying that the new funding will enable the government to support an additional 10,000 students at the start of the academic year, helping them meet their educational needs and adapt to the demands of higher education.

 

The government has doubled the Student Support Fund’s budget to JD40 million from JD20 million two years ago, raising the expected number of beneficiaries to nearly 63,000 students, compared with an annual average of around 53,000 previously, the statement said.

 

Hassan also congratulated students who passed the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi), wishing them success as they embark on the next stage of their education and careers.

 

He also extended his best wishes to students who did not pass this time, wishing them success in future attempts and in pursuing vocational careers or other alternative pathways.

 

Noting that 2026 recorded the highest Tawjihi pass rate, Hassan stressed that pass rates alone should not be considered the primary measure of educational success. He said the focus should remain on students’ ability to adapt to labour market demands and on improving overall learning outcomes.

 

He also underlined the importance of continuously evaluating the implementation and impact of the new secondary education system to ensure its ongoing development and provide students with high-quality education.

 

Hassan said the Kingdom is entering a new phase in education following the establishment of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.

 

He emphasised that the change represents a comprehensive restructuring of work methods and implementation mechanisms across all stages of education, incorporating modern technology, updating educational foundations and empowering teachers.

 

Highlighting the importance of developing school infrastructure, Hassan said the government has built 86 new schools in less than a year, in addition to extensive classroom expansions and kindergarten facilities, describing the achievement as unprecedented.

 

He added that 14 of the schools were established through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, thanking the private sector for its support.

 

Hassan also announced that the school transport project will be launched next week in the Southern Governorates and the Southern Badia.

 

The initiative will serve nearly 9,000 students and 900 teachers and is intended to pave the way for expansion to the central and northern governorates following a successful initial trial.