AMMAN — The EU and UNICEF on Thursday launched three initiatives worth 37 million euros to improve learning outcomes, strengthen education services and expand opportunities for vulnerable children and young people across Jordan.

 

The EU said that the initiatives build on its longstanding partnership with UNICEF and are aimed at reinforcing national social protection systems, enhancing learning outcomes and creating greater opportunities for children to learn and develop, Al Mamlaka TV, reported.

 

As part of the package, the EU has allocated 4 million euros to the Strengthening National Inclusive Social Protection Systems for the Most Vulnerable Children in Jordan programme, which seeks to build more resilient and sustainable national systems that improve children's learning, social skills and psychosocial well-being.

 

The programme is expected to directly benefit 13,736 vulnerable people while supporting evidence-based planning through a budgeting and investment study for UNICEF's Makani programme to help ensure its long-term sustainability.

 

The EU is also contributing 13 million euros to the Education and Makani Programme, which aims to expand access to education, learning support and skills development for the most vulnerable children and young people.

 

The programme will support nearly 30,000 primary and secondary school students during the 2025/2026 academic year, building on assistance provided to more than 33,500 students in 2024/2025.

 

It will expand foundational literacy recovery programmes and classroom reading initiatives, provide age-appropriate learning opportunities, early childhood development programmes, life skills training and child protection services benefiting around 9,000 children.

 

The initiative also aims to help 80 per cent of participating young people improve their digital and financial literacy, supporting their transition into adulthood and the workforce.

 

It will also enhance access to education by providing transportation services for children, including those with disabilities, strengthening violence prevention initiatives in schools and engaging Syrian volunteers to support educational services.

 

To help address learning loss, the EU is investing 20 million euros in the Schools: Teaching for Learning Recovery (ST4LR) programme, which aims to improve learning outcomes in Jordan's most disadvantaged schools.

 

The programme is expected to reach 20,000 children through reading recovery programmes and 40,000 through mathematics interventions, while helping at least 80 per cent of participating students achieve measurable improvements in foundational literacy and numeracy.

 

It will also train 1,800 teachers in inclusive education, remedial teaching, positive discipline and child protection, while strengthening partnerships between schools, parents and local communities across 300 schools. In addition, the programme will introduce early warning systems to identify students at risk of dropping out and provide timely support to help them remain in education.