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.
Take the 2-minute parenting style quiz to see how your style fits in Jordan.
Children in Jordan
Context & Trends
Jordan's children live in a country transformed by refugee flows. The 660,000 Syrian refugees include hundreds of thousands of children who have strained but not broken the education system. Jordan's response โ opening schools to refugee children โ has been globally praised. But resources are stretched thin, and Jordanian families worry their own children's education quality has suffered from overcrowding.
Get the Jordan culture brief
The 5 things that catch expat families off guard, delivered to your inbox.
What surprises expat families
Parenting philosophy
"Education is the only inheritance that lasts"
▸
Jordanian parenting places enormous emphasis on education as social mobility. The family (aila) is the central social unit, with extended family deeply involved in child-rearing. Tribal identity shapes many families' values and social networks. Islamic values of respect, hospitality, and community underpin parenting. The refugee crisis has created a parallel parenting reality โ Syrian families navigate trauma, displacement, and adaptation while raising children.
Sources: UNICEF Jordan 2023; Jordan Population and Family Health Survey 2018
Play culture
"Ancient ruins become everyday playgrounds"
▸
Jordanian children play football everywhere โ on streets, in schoolyards, and near ancient Roman ruins. Traditional games include mancala, marbles, and tag variants. Families gather in parks for Friday picnics where children play freely. Aqaba's Red Sea coast offers beach play. In refugee camps, NGOs organize structured play programs. Urban children in Amman increasingly spend time in malls and on screens.
Sources: UNICEF Jordan; Jordan Tourism Board
Discipline norms
"Family honor motivates behavior across generations"
▸
Corporal punishment is prohibited in Jordanian schools since 1981 by ministerial regulation, but enforcement is inconsistent. At home, physical discipline remains legal and common. Family honor (sharaf) is a powerful behavioral motivator. The phrase 'aib' (shameful) is used to correct children. Positive parenting programs have expanded through UNICEF and local NGOs, particularly targeting refugee communities where conflict trauma has affected family dynamics.
Sources: endcorporalpunishment.org; UNICEF Jordan; Jordan National Council for Family Affairs
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.
The Tawjihi exam at grade 12 is notoriously high-stakes โ results determine university admission and are celebrated like national events. Private schools serve the middle and upper classes.
Homework Norms: Heavy homework, especially in Tawjihi preparation years. Private tutoring is widespread. Refugee children face additional homework challenges due to disrupted prior education and crowded living conditions.
Assessment Approach: The Tawjihi (general secondary exam) is one of the most high-stakes exams in the Arab world. Results are published publicly and families celebrate high scores with parties. It determines university placement entirely.
Parent Teacher Dynamic: Teachers are respected but face crowded classrooms. Parent involvement is moderate. In refugee communities, NGOs bridge the parent-school gap. The Tawjihi creates intense family-school pressure.
Sources: Jordan Ministry of Education; UNICEF Jordan; UNHCR 2023
Countries with similar parenting culture scores
Planning a move to Jordan?
Family Integration Playbooks โ your parenting style mapped to Jordan's culture, schools, and norms.
Plus Caregiver OS โ bilingual do/don't guidelines for your caregiver.
$99 per playbook · $29 for Caregiver OS