An informed source denied reports recently circulated on social media platforms claiming that the Prime Minister’s Office had issued a decision to increase education allowances for the children of Jordanian diplomats serving abroad.
اضافة اعلان
The source told Al-Ghad that neither the Council of Ministers nor the prime minister has recently issued any decision to amend or increase the ceiling of the education allowance allocated for this purpose.
The source explained that amendments to the Diplomatic Corps Regulations concerning education were introduced in 2019.
The amendments established conditions and set the mechanism for paying the education allowance, unlike the previous regulations, which did not require children to accompany diplomatic employees on overseas assignments.
Under the amended regulations, the education allowance covers no more than 75% of tuition fees paid during the diplomat’s assignment abroad, against official and detailed invoices, with an annual ceiling of JOD 8,500.
Under the previous system, the allowance was a fixed JOD 4,800 annually, without requiring the student to accompany the diplomatic employee abroad.
The new system, however, links payment to the student’s education abroad and requires invoices documenting the amounts paid. The allowance covers no more than 75% of tuition fees and excludes other expenses, such as transportation and activities not directly related to education.
The source noted that the amendment was introduced after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates adopted measures to reduce expenditures.
The source said the regulations provide diplomatic employees with reasonable options for educating their children through international curricula while moving from one country to another and facing high education costs.
The source explained that children of diplomats generally have little choice but to study international curricula abroad due to differences in education systems and languages in many countries, as well as diplomats’ frequent transfers.
Following a consistent curriculum is necessary to avoid negatively affecting their children’s academic progress. International education is often the only option that provides consistent curricula, although its costs are very high, with the ministry’s contribution covering part of those expenses.
The source said international programs at international schools, as is the case in Jordan, are very expensive and are often the only available option abroad due to differences in language and education systems and diplomats’ assignments across multiple countries.
The regulations were therefore amended several years ago to help diplomats cover part of their children’s education expenses.
The source stressed that the system is not new and introduced conditions that did not previously exist, most notably requiring the student to accompany the diplomatic parent.
Payments are made based on invoices certified by the head of mission and reviewed by the ministry. The allowance is therefore not a fixed payment but a conditional one.
The informed source added that the legislation includes clear institutional safeguards to ensure financial spending is rationalized and controlled.
It also limits the number of beneficiaries, with the education allowance covering a maximum of three children per diplomatic employee, regardless of the total number of children, and applies only to school education, not university education.
The source concluded by stressing the importance of obtaining information and figures related to government spending from official channels and approved legislation.
