France vs Jordan
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
France
In France, school lunches are four-course meals with a cheese course, and children eat what's served.
French school canteens serve a starter, main course, cheese, and dessert. There are no vending machines, no packed lunches, and no substitutions β food education is part of the curriculum.
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.
France
Free, secular public education is a constitutional principle. Children enter Γ©cole maternelle at age 3 (compulsory since 2019). The curriculum is highly centralized and standardized nationally. Wednesday afternoons are traditionally free.
Jordan
Jordan's 10-2 compulsory system has expanded dramatically to absorb Syrian refugee children. Many schools operate double shifts β Jordanian children in the morning, Syrian children in the afternoon. Education is free through secondary school.
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