Education Ministry: A "Tawjihi" certificate from abroad with a low GPA does not enhance chances of admission to public universities

Al-Khatib warned on Tuesday against enrolling in schools and educational institutions outside the Kingdom that offer General Secondary Education programs without obtaining the necessary official accreditations and licenses, as the certificates issued by them may not be recognized or eligible for equivalency in Jordan, which could lead to a waste of time, effort, and money.

The General Secondary Education system provides multiple opportunities for success

Al-Khatib explained that the new Jordanian General Secondary Education system, which was approved about two or three years ago and saw the first cohort of students under it join universities at the beginning of this year, provides multiple opportunities for success and obtaining the GPA that enables the student to complete their university studies.

He added that the system allows for taking ministerial exams over two years, giving students greater flexibility in improving their results, expressing his hope that these opportunities will contribute to encouraging them to continue their studies within Jordan and limit their enrollment in unaccredited educational institutions outside the Kingdom.

Pursuing misleading advertisements

Al-Khatib indicated that the Ministry is monitoring advertisements promoting enrollment in educational institutions outside the Kingdom via social media platforms and media outlets, and is cooperating with the Cybercrime Unit to take the necessary legal measures against those responsible for them.

He pointed out that some entities exploit students in exchange for money, misleading them into believing they can obtain a General Secondary Education certificate, only for it to be discovered later that the certificate is invalid or ineligible for recognition and equivalency, noting that the law criminalizes any university office that facilitates student enrollment in unrecognized schools or offices outside Jordan.

Verifying school accreditation and certificate equivalency

Al-Khatib called on students wishing to study outside the Kingdom to consult the Ministry of Education or the official body responsible for education in the concerned country to verify the school's accreditation and the possibility of authenticating the certificates issued by it, and to seek assistance from the Jordanian Embassy or the cultural attaché to verify its recognition in Jordan.

He explained that the Non-Jordanian Certificate Equivalency Department at the Ministry's Examinations and Tests Administration verifies the official seals on transcripts, starting with the school's seal, then the seal of the Ministry of Education in the concerned country, the seal of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and finally the seal of the Jordanian Embassy or the Jordanian cultural attaché.

He added that the Ministry may conduct official correspondence through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates with the competent authorities in the concerned country to verify the school's accreditation and the validity of the certificates issued by it, especially when the school follows a specific country but offers its educational programs on the territory of another country.

He pointed out the difficulty of listing all recognized schools outside the Kingdom and publishing their names on a single website, due to their presence in different countries, calling on students and their parents to verify the legal status of educational institutions before registering in them.

Dozens of students faced problems with certificate equivalency

Regarding the number of students who faced problems in having their certificates recognized, Al-Khatib stated that he does not have an exact tally of these cases, but noted that there are dozens of students for whom the Ministry needed time to verify the validity of their certificates.

He added that the certificates of other students turned out to be invalid and were not recognized or granted equivalency, while the Ministry is still awaiting responses from the competent authorities regarding other cases.

He explained that students enrolled in schools outside the Kingdom fall into two categories: the first includes students residing with their families in those countries due to the family's residency circumstances, and the second includes students who enroll in educational institutions outside Jordan and may fall victim to entities that exploit them financially in exchange for promises of obtaining a General Secondary Education certificate.