Canada vs Jordan
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
Canada
In Canada, children play outside at recess in -25ยฐC โ 'there's no bad weather, only bad clothing.'
Most Canadian provinces mandate outdoor recess regardless of temperature. Schools set a cold-weather threshold (often -25ยฐC or -30ยฐC with wind chill) โ but it has to be extreme before children stay inside.
Jordan
One in five students in Jordanian public schools is a Syrian refugee child.
Jordan hosts 660,000 Syrian refugees, and its schools have absorbed their children through a double-shift system.
Canada
Education is provincially controlled โ there is no federal curriculum. School starts at age 5โ6. French immersion programs are widely available. Emphasis on inclusivity and multicultural education.
Jordan
Jordan's 10-2 compulsory system has expanded dramatically to absorb Syrian refugee children. Many schools operate double shifts โ Jordanian children in the morning, Syrian children in the afternoon. Education is free through secondary school.
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