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Local community comes together in Zarqa to improve girls' school

By Khetam Malkawi - May 31,2016 - Last updated at May 31,2016

The Khalailet Bani Hassan School in Zarqa has been recently renovated through collaboration with the local community in an effort to enhance its learning environment (Photo by Khetam Malkawi)

ZARQA — With a sense of purpose and determination, principal Wafa Irmaily decided to take on the daunting task of improving the education environment in Zarqa by starting with her school and local community.

At the beginning of this academic year, when Irmaily assumed her new post as the principal of Khalailet Bani Hassan School in Zarqa, some 22km east of Amman, she believed that neither the teachers nor the students will perform their best when they attend classes in a building that has not undergone any maintenance for more than 30 years.

Cracked walls, old broken desks and restrooms that are not suitable for use — this is how the school was described by teachers before an initiative was launched to maintain the school, according to Irmaily.

“I wanted my students to feel comfortable coming to school, and improve their academic achievement. Thus, I decided to arrange for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the school facilities regardless of the obstacles I would face,” the principal told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

With no financial resources and what she described as a lack of official support, Irmaily decided to address different institutions and community leaders to support her initiative.

“Zarqa Municipality, businesspeople and even the members of Parliament representing the area showed their support, which encouraged me to continue,” she explained, noting that the school’s neighbours had no interest in contributing to work to revamp it.

She called them for a meeting to explain the importance of repairing the school and its impact on their daughters’ academic future.

“This was the start… through donations; we painted the classrooms’ walls, repaired and bought new equipment, repaired the yard and improved it.” 

This was also accompanied by developing teaching methods and training teachers, the principal explained.

 

'Student performance improves'

 

Teachers at the school agreed that the improvement of the school’s infrastructure and the training they received contributed to enhancing the students’ performance.

“We noticed the impact on the students’ eagerness to come to school and to study more,” said Ibtesam Abu Rahmah, a second grade teacher in the school that accommodates more than 200 students.

She added that she has been teaching at the same school since 1992 and this is the first initiative adopted to revamp it.

“I feel better now, more encouraged to give the best I can to my students,” Abu Rahmah added.

Nour Ali, a second grader, agreed with her teacher, noting that the teaching aid currently available at school helped facilitate the education process.

“I love coming to school more now,” Ali added.

 

Supporters

 

Ali Khalaileh, a member of the outgoing Lower House of Parliament, was one of the first community leaders to support this initiative.

He said the persistence of the school’s principal and the teamwork he noticed in the school encouraged him to support this initiative, adding that it will reflect on future graduates.

“What impresses me is the impact of this initiative on the students’ performance… many of the area’s residents want to transfer their daughters from other schools to this one now,” Khalaileh told The Jordan Times.

Wafa Jaber, a mother of a student at the school, said she was inspired to come up with initiatives to help students who are in need.

Thus, in coordination with the school’s administration, she bought stationery and distributed it to students who cannot afford it.

Jaber also is contributing to developing teaching aids needed at the school.

When the initiative was launched, Zarqa Education Directorate also offered support, providing some needed tools, according to its director, Khalil Abu Asal.

 

“We want to expand this experience to other schools in Zarqa,” he said, adding that the local community now sees the school as its own.

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