The Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research Muhammad Abu Qdais said distance education is a 'temporary necessity' and is not a substitute for in-person learning.

This was during the first virtual educational forum entitled "The Experience of Teaching and Distance Learning in Light of the Coronavirus Pandemic", organized by the Ministry of Education to celebrate the Jordanian Centennial. The forum was attended by the former Minister of Education Tayseer al-Nuaimi, Senator Haifa al-Najjar and the two Secretaries-General of the ministry Nawaf al-Ajarmah and Najwa Qubeilat.

In the opening session of the forum, Abu Qdais stated that the ministry held training courses and provided high-quality infrastructure to ensure the continuity of the education process with ease. 

He said that the Ministry has made exceptional effort to overcome all obstacles and challenges that come with the experience of distance education. Through communication and partnership with the private sector and international partners, the forum aims to ecourage exchange of global experiences, as well as come up with recommendations and suggestions to improve and enrich the process.

Nuaimi said the coronavirus pandemic has affected all aspects of life across the globe including the education sector. He noted that the coronavirus crisis has also provided great opportunities for development and improvement, which has enabled them to reassess the local educational system.

Ajarmah presented the ministry’s efforts in terms of distance learning, stressing that Jordan has achieved a lot despite the pandemic and its reprocussions. The ministry was able to support students with the official online education platform Darsak, which enabled students and teachers to interact to bridge the gaps that appeared as a result of the pandemic.

The aim is to enable students to transition to the following stage smoothly without any difficulties or obstables, he said.

Qubeilat explained the importance of evaluating the experience of distance education in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. She pointed out that the ministry is always keen on constantly improving the educational process.

She said distance learning was an experiment during exceptional circumstances. She added the pandemic has accelerated the process of integrating technology into the local educational system.

Najjar presented the experience of distance education in the private sector and said that Jordan was able to provide an exceptional example of how to confront challenges and turn them into opportunities. She added that they considered the crisis "a catalyst for developing creativity and critical thinking, and encouraging self-motivation among students."