Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan and German Development Bank (KfW) Country Director in Jordan, Mark Schwiete, Monday signed a pound 50 million soft loan agreement provided by the German government to finance the second phase of a program to support the education sector in Jordan. Toukan said the funding is part of the education sector’s priorities within the economic modernization vision’s executive program for the years 2023-2025, as it aims to build new public schools and expand and equip existing schools with furniture and laboratories. She said the Ministry of Education will carry out the agreement in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works. This loan is part of a pound 100 million total concessional financing the German government has pledged to support the education sector in Jordan, as an agreement for the first phase of the program was signed in 2021 at a similar value of pound 50 million, Toukan pointed out. The minister thanked Germany, a strategic partner of Jordan, for its continuous support of the Kingdom’s development and reform efforts and helping it to face economic challenges, including hosting Syrian refugees. German Chargé d’Affaires Florian Reindel said that providing an appropriate learning environment is the key to educational success, noting that 40,000 students have benefited from the funding allocated to building schools. Schwiete said Germany recognized the challenges Jordan faces, especially in the education sector, and supports the Kingdom to overcome them, as the funding complements existing cooperation in this sector. The German government is a key partner and supporter of Jordan in terms of developmental cooperation or aid provided as part of the Syrian crisis response plan.
Source: Jordan News Agency