Thanks to the support of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), a so-called “Little Teacher Initiative” continues to bring together a young generation of future teachers working toward making their dream come true at the UNRWA Jabal El-Hussein School in Jordan through the Little Teachers Initiative.

Tala Abdel-Rahim, a tenth grade participant in the program, was quoted by UNRWA as stating: “When this program was launched, it was aimed at improving the educational attainment of elementary school students. But it turned out that it really helped me to fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher in the future!”

 “We meet our tutors during free class periods and work through worksheets we prepare for them. With the help of our teachers, we’ve been able to create resources that make information easy for younger students to understand,” Tala added.

The Little Teacher Initiative was launched to raise scores of student in the second and third grade, as well as address behavioral challenges through mentorship by older student teachers. The participation of ninth and tenth grade students to teach their younger peers has resulted in increased attainment in the basics of reading, writing and mathematics, UNRWA said in a Monday statement.

Amneh Gwanmeh, a school support teacher also said that this initiative has been a great achievement in raising the educational level of Palestine refugee students, adding that more than 70 per cent of students who have taken part in the Little Teachers Initiative have improved behaviorally and educationally.

In Jordan, UNRWA provides educational services to over 118,000 Palestine refugee students in some 169 schools across the country. 

Jordan hosts more than two million registered Palestine refugees, the highest number of all of the UNRWA fields. There are ten recognized Palestine refugee camps throughout the country, accommodating nearly 400,000 people.

UNRWA extends its health, education, social and other services also to nearly 17,000 thousand Palestine refugees from Syria who have fled the conflict and who, for the most part, are believed to suffer from abject poverty and a precarious legal status. UNRWA is working to accommodate PRS children in its schools and to provide relief and health care to those in need.