Abstract:

Objectives:
• Analyze Jordanian social studies curriculum, focusing on the concepts of respect and diversity.
• Analyze high schools students’ attitudes towards refugee students inside Jordanian public schools.
• Analyze Jordanian teachers’ attitudes towards the refugee students.

Significance:
Jordan has begun to fact a good number of problems related to the influx of large number of new refugees over the past 15 years. Huge number of refugee students from Syria or Iraq have taken their places in Jordan’s public schools. Most of these schools have an enrollment of 20 to 50 percent from new refugee communities. The public schools and their administrators have accepted these students because the financial contributions made on their behalf by international organizations like the UN High Commission for Refugees are needed to develop the Jordanian public school system which is chronically under-funded. The system otherwise depends on budget allotments, grants from His Majesty the King of Jordan, and contributions by families and local communities. The effect of this influx of refugee students is felt in the everyday life of Jordanian classrooms. Jordanian schools have their own identity. For example, students recite the national anthem with respect during the morning assembly but many refugee students don’t respect these values and the face of Jordanian public schools is changing. There are a growing number of arguments between Jordanian students and Iraqi or Syrian new arrivals. Some of the new arrivals are unused to the strict discipline and dress codes that are the norm in Jordanian schools. Jordanian educators face increasing difficulty in maintaining order. Some refugee families, for example, are unable to provide their children with enough to eat, so that students come to the classroom more concerned with finding food and the means to make money than with their studies. In addition, the normal Jordanian curriculum emphasizes civic values. We raise our students to be proud of their identity and of Jordan firstly and to be open to others. Many refugee students do not share these values and our students face problems making friends with them. When you enter any public school in Jordan today you will see the Syrian students grouped with each other, the Iraqi off by themselves, and the Jordanian students forming a third group. We need to search for ways to change attitude s and build a united, multicultural fabric in the schools, accepting and valuing our differences. The study analyzes the Jordanian social studies curriculum to see why the Jordanian school administrators, teachers, students and their communities face these problems and how they can be overcome the same. Jordan continues to teach students the values of equality and tolerance, but problems have arisen in the way we present these values to refugee students coming from different traditions and backgrounds. So the study seek answers to these questions and explore possible changes to our curriculum and how we can benefit from others experience in this area and how we can help refugee students to accept their new location and adapt to Jordanian society, while still retaining pride in their individual backgrounds and cultures. All of these questions will be answered through this study.

Keywords:

Globle education, diversity.