Families in Jordan often frame this as a single decision — private or public — when the real differences sit at the level of the individual school. A strong public school serves a child better than a weak private one. Still, some differences are structural, and it helps to know which are real.
The curriculum is the same
This surprises many families. Both private and public schools in Jordan follow the national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education, and both prepare students for the same Tawjihi examination under the same regulations. A private school does not teach a different syllabus or award a different certificate.
What can differ is how the curriculum is delivered: the pace, the support available, the additional languages or activities layered on top, and how much individual attention a student receives.
Class size and attention
This is the difference families most often feel day to day. Smaller classes mean a teacher notices sooner when a student is struggling, and there is more room for questions. It is not automatic — a small class with weak teaching helps nobody — but it changes what is possible.
Ask for the actual class size in your child's specific grade, this year. Not the school average, and not last year's.
Cost, and what it should buy
Private schooling carries fees; public schooling does not. That is the plainest difference. The useful question is not whether fees exist but what they deliver: smaller classes, specific programmes, facilities, communication, or Tawjihi support.
Ask what the fee covers and what sits outside it — transport, books, uniform, activities, examination costs. A clear answer is itself a signal about how the school operates.
Tawjihi pathways
Not every school offers every Tawjihi field. This matters because the fields available at your school shape which university routes your child can take. Ask early, even if your child is young.
Lulu'at AlElm Schools offers the Health Field and the Technology Field for Grades 11 and 12. Whichever school you choose, confirm which fields it runs and how many students it takes through them each year.
Where the label stops being useful
Beyond these structural points, the questions that predict a good experience are the same for both:
- How does the school communicate with families?
- What happens when a student falls behind?
- How are complaints handled?
- Is the teaching staff stable year to year?
- Do the buildings and classrooms match what is described?
A school that answers these clearly is a good school, whatever its category. A school that deflects them is not, whatever its fees.
Decide for the child in front of you
The right choice depends on the specific child: how they learn, what support they need, how far they would travel, and what your family can sustain over twelve years. Compare two named schools, not two categories.
Families comparing options can review our academic programs, the Tawjihi pathways, or contact the administration.
Frequently asked questions
Do private and public schools in Jordan teach the same curriculum?
Yes. Both follow the national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education and prepare students for the same Tawjihi examination under the same regulations.
What is the main practical difference?
Class size and the individual attention that follows from it, plus whatever specific programmes, facilities, or Tawjihi support a given school provides.
Is a private school always better?
No. A strong public school serves a child better than a weak private one. Compare two named schools rather than two categories.
What should school fees cover?
Ask what sits inside the fee and what sits outside it — transport, books, uniform, activities, and examination costs. A clear answer is itself a signal.
Do all schools offer every Tawjihi field?
No, and this shapes your child's university options. Ask early which fields a school runs. Lulu'at AlElm Schools offers the Health Field and the Technology Field.
