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Policymaking in Jordan
From Incremental to Synoptic

• American University of Beirut

Education 303 Determinants of Educational
Policy
Instructor Dr. Munir Bashshur
Presented by
Nada AbiSamra
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From Incremental to Synoptic
Policymaking in Jordan

• Definitions of terms
• Jordan Brief Overview
• Jordans Educational System
• First Policy Cycle Early 1970s
• Background, Input generation, Input conversion,
  Outputs, Outcomes
• References

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Definitions of terms

• Policymaking
• Plan of action adopted or pursued by a
  government.
• It has 2 essential dimensions
• The actors (Who) the process (How)
• Policymaking in education involves balancing a
  number of contradictory demands, and soliciting
  support, or at least tolerance, from the many
  different segments of society which have an
  interest in education.
• The Education Policy Cycle consists of
• 1- Analysis of existing situation 2- Generation
  of policy options
• 3- Evaluation of policy options 4- Making the
  policy decision
• 5- Planning for policy implementation 6- Policy
  implementation
• 7- Policy impact assessment 8- Subsequent policy
  cycles
• (Haddad, p10)

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Definitions of terms

• Incremental Method
• To Increment To increase or add
• Incremental policymaking relies on negotiation
  rather than on a complete analysis of the
  situation to develop a blueprint for solving
  problems.
• It is less concerned with correctly solving the
  problem than with making an advance (Lindblom,
  1977). It is sometimes called the acting out
  approach Urgency gt Quick solution (Johnson and
  Clark, 1982)
• The incremental approach to policymaking is built
  on the following assumptions
• 1- Policy options are based on highly uncertain
  knowledge
• 2- No correct solution can therefore be found,
  then no drastic reforms should be attempted
• 3- Only incremental and limited policy
  adjustments can be made
• 4- These adjustments should be tentative--and in
  some cases temporary- and must be revised as the
  dynamics of the situation evolve.

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Definitions of terms

• Synoptic Method
• Synoptic Affording a comprehensive / holistic
  view of a whole.
• Synoptic policymaking entails, in its EXTREME
  form, a single central authority for the whole of
  society, combining economic, political, and
  social control into one integrated planning
  process that makes negotiation unnecessary.
  (Lindblom, 1977)
• The synoptic approach to policymaking is built on
  the following assumptions
• 1- The problem at hand does not go beyond mans
  cognitive capacities.
• 2- There exist agreed criteria by which solutions
  can be judged.
• 3- The problem solvers have adequate incentives
  to stay with synoptic analysis until it is
  completed (rather than regress to using
  incremental planning).

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Definitions of terms

• Synoptic (Contd)
• History suggests that pure synoptic policymaking
  is not possible. Still, it remains attractive
  because of its use in depoliticizing decisions
• It assumes that there exist correct solutions
  to problems rather than political
  accommodations of warring interests, and that
  these solutions can be discovered by the right
  technical experts.
• (Haddad, p6)
• Diversification
• Making something diverse, giving variety to...

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Jordan!

• Location Middle East, Northwest of Saudi Arabia
• Area total 89,213 sq. km land 88,884 sq. km
  water 329 sq. km
• Border countries Iraq, Israel,
  Saudi Arabia, Syria, West Bank.
• Natural resources Phosphate,
  potash,
  limestone (only).

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Jordan!

• Environment limited natural fresh water
  resources deforestation overgrazing soil
  erosion desertification. The desert comprises
  more than two thirds of Jordan.
• Population 4.8 million, predominantly Arab
  Moslem. More than 92 are Sunni Muslims, and
  about 6 are Christians. About 1.5 million
  Palestinian Arabs- -including more than 950,000
  registered refugees and displaced persons--
  reside in Jordan, many as citizens. (Palestinians
  now constitute around 65-70 of
  the population. gt Jordan Profile on the net)
• Official language Arabic, but English is used
  widely in commerce and government.

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Jordan!

• History
• Before 1921 the old Turkish empire ruled the
  land of Jordan. After the Ottomans, Jordan was
  placed under the British mandate.
• In 1946, the Hashemite Prince Abdullah Ibn
  al-Hussein Ibn Ali declared the independence of
  Jordan and then became its King.
• In 1952, his Majesty King Hussein Ibn Talal Ibn
  Abdullah was proclaimed King of the Hashemite
  Kingdom of Jordan which achieved a new era of
  progress and prosperity.
• King Hussein died on February 6, 1999 and his
  son, Abdullah, became king at age 37.

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Jordan!

• Jordan is not an oil rich country all of its
  oil has to be imported. Less than 5 of its
  agricultural land is arable! Water is an
  increasingly scarce resource.
• In the face of these hard facts which were
  further exacerbated by the continued influx of
  Palestinian refugees and the unresolved
  Palestinian problem, Jordanian governments have
  had no other rational choice but to concentrate
  on the development of human resources.

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Jordan's Educational System

• General Overview
• The development of Jordan's educational system
  can only be described as dramatic.
• Starting from almost nothing in the early 1920s,
  Jordan has forged a comprehensive, high-quality
  system to develop the human capital of its
  citizens.
• Today there are 2787 government schools, 1493
  private schools, 48 community colleges, and 19
  universities. In Jordan, access to basic
  education has been emphasized in all the
  countrys development plans. The government has,
  as a matter of policy, provided every village and
  community with 10 or more school-going children
  with a school. As a result, the rapid spread of
  facilities enabled citizens in poor and remote
  areas to gain access to education.

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First Policy Cycle The situation in the early
1970s

• In the early 1970s, the government of Jordan
  introduced an educational policy of secondary
  school diversification to resolve issues of
  manpower supply and employment.

A- Background
1- International UNESCO World Bank assessed
the situation in Jordan (1971) finding manpower
shortages and educational imbalances. There
was a prevailing international mood that
attributed the problems of unemployment and
manpower shortages to the inappropriateness of
the widespread model of academically oriented
education.
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A- Background

• 2- National
• a- Overly academic curriculum
• The curriculum of general secondary schools was
  considered overly academic and theoretical. Its
  main objective preparation for university
  education and not direct preparation for
  occupational life.
• b- Manpower imbalances Serious unemployment
• Annual demand for secondary education graduates
  60
• gt 40 face unemployment or seek work abroad.
• Annual supply of vocationally trained technicians
  meets only 20 of demand.

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A- Background
2- National (contd) c- Inequities Unequal
educational opportunities in rural and urban
areas in both quantitative and qualitative
terms. (Although about 30 of the population
lived in the rural areas, growth in the
educational system took place almost exclusively
in the urban areas.) Differences in income
distribution and opportunities in education drew
young people away from the rural areas and
increased the pressures on the towns.
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B- Input
Adaptation of the school system to manpower needs
through 1- The reform of preparatory school
curricula by introducing pre-vocational
subjects. 2- Diversifying the secondary school
curriculum gt combining academic and vocational
courses in one institutional setting. 3-
Reorientation of vocational education 4-
Controlling the growth of academic output while
increasing the growth of vocationally-oriented
output. 5- Introducing a new type of
post-preparatory vocational educational
institution, the trade training center.
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C- Input Conversion

Since Jordan is a kingdom where there is a
supreme ruler, so decision making is basically
only his. The policy decision of 1972 was not the
product of national debate or local research,
experimentation and comparative analysis.
Though two manpower studies had been
commissioned, the decision was made before the
results of the studies were in.
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D- Outputs

The construction of comprehensive schools and
vocational centers went according to plans,
although with some delays.
E- Output Manipulation
The concept of diversification was modified. All
students spent two thirds of their time in common
exposure to some general education and some
pre-vocational education, and the remaining
third, as intended, on their specialized streams
gt the distinct core programs were omitted.
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F- Outcomes
1- Positive a- Between 1980 and 1985 the
compulsory enrollment of the lower 40 of exam
achievers in vocational streams had succeeded in
raising secondary vocational enrollments as a
share of total secondary students from 19 to
29. b- Because most of the comprehensive schools
had been financed through World Bank loans, they
were well built and well supplied with both
equipment and good teachers, which made them more
attractive to some students and parents. Also, in
their examination results and success in
preparing their students for post-secondary
education, the comprehensive schools had proved
the equals of the rest of the secondary system.

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F- Outcomes
2- Less positive Despite expanding employment
opportunities and increasing wages for skilled
workers, students and parents continued to avoid
a vocational education. White collar, preferably
civil service positions continued to be valued
more than ever better paid blue collar jobs, and
most large employers, like the government,
continued to require general rather than
vocational qualifications for them.

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References

• Haddad, Wadi D., 1994 The Dynamics of Education
  Policymaking The World Bank- Washington, D.C.
• Ministry of Education (Jordan), Sep. 1987 The
  Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Plan of Action for
  Educational Reform (1989-1998)
• http//www.multieducator.com/nationbynation/Jorda
  n/Population.html Jordan Population- History
  Central Historys home on the internet.
• http//www.kinghussein.gov.jo Jordan- Keys to
  the Kingdom
• Foldvary, Fred E., 1999- The Progress Report-
  Editorial- King Abdullah of Jordan
  http//www.progress.org/archive/fold76.htm

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References
(Cont'd)

• http//www.nstgroup.com/jordan/ Jordan,
  Complete visitors guide.
• Al-Daje'h, Hisham1993- Education And Training In
  Jordan A Descriptive And Financial Survey
  http//www.nchrd.gov.jo/research/study12.html
• http//www.ecountries.com/middle_east/jordan/rese
  arch/profile?tabPeople Jordan- Country profile