Finnish Education in Amman, Jordan
Amman does not have a well-documented branded Finnish curriculum school yet, but Jordan's own multi-year curriculum reform is already pushing primary teaching toward literacy, numeracy and core skills.
- Jordan's school system runs two years of preschool, ten years of compulsory basic education from around age six, split into primary and preparatory stages, followed by two years of secondary school ending in the Tawjihi exam.
- From 2025, kindergarten at age five is being made compulsory nationally, part of a broader push to expand access to early education.
- With World Bank and UNESCO support, Jordan has been shifting its curriculum from content-driven to competency-based teaching, with a focus on literacy and numeracy, rolling out rewritten textbooks for core subjects between 2023 and 2025.
- Amman has around 42 schools serving international families, including the American Community School Amman, Amman Baccalaureate School and King's Academy, with fees ranging from roughly JOD 2,500 at budget schools to JOD 15,000 or more at premium schools.
A multi-year shift toward literacy, numeracy and skills
Jordan has been working, with World Bank and UNESCO support, to move its national curriculum away from content-driven teaching and toward competency-based learning centred on literacy and numeracy, rolling out rewritten textbooks for core subjects grade by grade between 2023 and 2025. That direction lines up closely with how Finnish schools build literacy gradually and without early high-stakes testing, giving Amman schools a practical model for the classroom side of the reform.
How Amman structures the primary years
Jordan's Ministry of Education runs two years of preschool, soon to include compulsory kindergarten from age five starting in 2025, followed by ten years of compulsory basic education split into primary, roughly grades 1 to 6, and preparatory, grades 7 to 10. Secondary school then narrows into academic or vocational tracks around grade 9, ahead of the restructured Tawjihi exam spanning grades 11 and 12, a considerably earlier and higher-stakes pathway than Finland's comprehensive school model.
Amman's international school sector
Around 42 schools in Amman serve international and bilingual families, ranging from budget options at roughly JOD 2,500 to 4,500 a year, through mid-tier schools at JOD 5,500 to 8,500, up to premium schools such as the American Community School Amman, Amman Baccalaureate School and King's Academy, which can charge JOD 10,000 to 15,000 or more. Ibn Rushd National Academy also offers the IB Primary Years Programme taught in Arabic, showing there is already appetite in the city for internationally recognised primary approaches.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Finnish curriculum school in Amman?
No well-documented one currently operates. A locally listed institution called Finnish Systems Schools appears in some Amman directories, though its curriculum affiliation is not clearly documented, so it should not be treated as a confirmed Finnish curriculum provider.
Is Jordan's curriculum becoming more competency-based?
Yes. With World Bank and UNESCO support, Jordan has been shifting from content-driven teaching toward competency-based learning focused on literacy and numeracy, rolling out new textbooks between 2023 and 2025.
When do Jordanian students face high-stakes exams?
Academic or vocational tracking begins around grade 9, ahead of the Tawjihi exam spanning grades 11 and 12, considerably earlier than Finland's comprehensive school model.
Related reading
Bring Finnish pedagogy to your school
OPPI affiliates a selective cohort of schools each year for its K-5 Finnish-pedagogy programme, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out.
Backed by Education Finland. Over 20 schools have already affiliated, including DPS, Radcliffe and Sanctus. Places in each cohort are limited.
Apply to the affiliation cohort →