PSI Launches Policy Paper Calling for the Reconstruction of Inclusive Education Governance Through the Upcoming Local Administration Law 

A policy paper launched by the Politics and Society Institute (PSI) has revealed significant structural gaps in Jordan’s inclusive education system for persons with disabilities, most notably the fact that only 10% of students with disabilities are enrolled in formal education. The paper also highlighted the absence of a comprehensive and disaggregated national database, the limited role of municipalities in ensuring accessible school environments, insufficient budgets allocated for reasonable accommodations, a shortage of specialized educational staff, and the lack of clear accountability mechanisms linking funding to inclusion outcomes. 

The paper was launched by PSI in partnership with the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) and with support from the Austrian Embassy in Amman, as part of the project “Local Governance Policies to Enhance Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities.” The initiative aims to strengthen the national dialogue on the relationship between local governance and educational equity, while redefining the role of municipalities and local institutions in supporting inclusive education in Jordan. 

The launch event brought together government officials, experts, representatives of civil society organizations, and stakeholders working on inclusive education and disability rights. 

In her remarks during the launch event, PSI Executive Director Rasha Fityan stressed that the paper approaches inclusive education as “a matter of public governance and social justice,” rather than merely a technical or service-oriented educational issue. She noted that Jordan’s main challenge no longer lies in the absence of legislation, but in the persistent gap between legal frameworks and practical implementation. 

She added that the paper seeks to shift the discussion from the traditional question of “how to provide educational services for persons with disabilities” toward a broader policy question concerning “how to redesign local governance and public policy frameworks so that inclusion becomes an integral part of state institutions and governance structures.” 

For her part, the Austrian Ambassador to Jordan H.E Dr. Marieke Zimburg stressed “that inclusion and the rights of persons with disabilities are not solely about providing selective support, but about building policies, structures, and institutions that ensure full and equal participation in society. She noted that the real challenge often enough does not lie in physical or mental limitations, but rather in the barriers that exist within the surrounding environment, engendering the need for more inclusive and equitable systems. 

She added that the project reflects the importance of developing these legal and administrative frameworks that enable persons with disabilities to access education and public services independently and equally, emphasizing that the Austrian Embassy’s support for this initiative stems from Austria’s commitment to human rights, social justice, and inclusive governance.” 

The launch of the policy paper comes amid broader reforms underway in Jordan aimed at modernizing public administration, strengthening decentralization, and advancing rights-based approaches to governance and public services. It also reflects growing national and international attention to inclusion, educational equity, and the rights of persons with disabilities. 

Despite Jordan’s notable legislative progress in recent years — particularly with the adoption of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities No. 20 of 2017, the Ten-Year Strategy for Inclusive Education, and the Jordan Declaration on Inclusion and Diversity in Education — major challenges remain in translating these commitments into effective and enforceable policies. These challenges include overlapping institutional mandates, weak coordination mechanisms, and the limited involvement of local administrations in planning and implementation processes. 

Within this context, PSI, through the project “Local Governance Policies to Enhance Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities” and with support from the Austrian Embassy in Amman, developed a participatory policy dialogue process linking inclusive education with local governance as interconnected pillars for building a more equitable and inclusive development model. 

The project relied on a participatory methodology combining desk research, institutional dialogue, focus group discussions analyzing legislative and implementation gaps, and in-depth interviews with experts and officials from the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Ministry of Local Administration, the Ministry of Education, the Royal Academy for Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities, as well as a number of specialists and local stakeholders. 

This process aimed to formulate actionable policy recommendations capable of supporting ongoing national discussions surrounding the upcoming Local Administration Law, while advancing the concept of “inclusive local governance” as a framework for improving equitable access to education and public services. 

The paper itself was developed through a multi-phase analytical and participatory methodology. It began with a comprehensive desk review of Jordan’s legislative and institutional framework governing inclusive education, including the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the national education strategy, and the recently issued regulatory framework for the Royal Academy for Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities. 

The methodology also included a review of several European best practices in local governance and inclusive education, particularly models related to decentralization, data-driven planning, and performance-based financing. 

As part of the participatory approach, PSI organized three specialized focus group sessions. The first addressed legislative gaps related to the Local Administration Law and the responsibilities assigned to municipalities and local councils. The second focused on implementation and institutional challenges, including infrastructure barriers, transportation issues, shortages in specialized teaching staff, and weak institutional coordination. 

The third session focused on developing an actionable matrix of policy and procedural recommendations aimed at redistributing institutional roles and strengthening accountability and oversight mechanisms. 

The paper concluded that inclusive education cannot be confined to the boundaries of the school itself, but must also encompass infrastructure, transportation systems, spatial planning, and local public policies. It emphasized that “an accessible school located within an inaccessible environment remains an incomplete model of inclusion.” 

Accordingly, the paper proposed the concept of “inclusive local governance” as a framework for rebuilding the relationship between the state and society on the basis of equity, participation, and accessibility. This model is built around data-driven planning, institutional integration, effective decentralization, performance-linked financing, and stronger public accountability. 

The paper further argued that the upcoming Local Administration Law represents a strategic opportunity to integrate disability rights into local development planning and expand the role of municipalities in supporting inclusive education through environmental accessibility measures, disability-responsive budgeting, and improved access to schools and public services. 

Among its key recommendations, the paper called for ensuring representation of persons with disabilities within local councils, strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms, and establishing a smart national disability mapping system using geographic data to guide resource allocation and service delivery. 

The paper also dedicated significant attention to the expected role of the newly established Royal Academy for Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities, describing it as a potentially transformative institution in Jordan’s inclusive education landscape. 

According to the paper, the Academy is well-positioned to play a central role in developing national standards and policies, building comprehensive databases, training and qualifying educational personnel, developing inclusive curricula, and strengthening institutional monitoring and evaluation systems. 

However, the paper stressed that the Academy’s success will depend on its ability to move beyond a purely technical and advisory role toward becoming an influential actor within Jordan’s broader governance and policy ecosystem. 

The paper concluded by emphasizing that inclusive education extends beyond the educational sector itself and forms part of the wider national debate on social justice, administrative reform, and political modernization in Jordan. It argued that “societies that fail to guarantee inclusive and equitable education for their most marginalized populations will also struggle to build fair political participation and balanced development.” 

It therefore called for a transition from reactive approaches that merely address gaps after they emerge, toward proactively designing inclusive policies from the outset, ensuring that the right to education becomes a lived reality within schools and communities rather than remaining solely a legal principle. 

The project, PSI emphasized, does not end with the publication of a policy paper or the organization of dialogue sessions. Rather, it represents the beginning of a long-term and sustainable policy process aimed at transforming recommendations into practical steps capable of influencing legislation, institutional practices, and governance frameworks. 

PSI — an independent think-and-do tank working to connect policy research with practical implementation — reaffirmed its commitment to continue working with national partners, and with the ongoing support of the Austrian Embassy in Amman, to build on the outcomes of this initiative, deepen policy dialogue, and develop practical interventions related to local governance, inclusive education, and educational equity. 

These efforts aim to move beyond diagnosis and recommendations toward tangible implementation and measurable impact on the lives of persons with disabilities and their families, while institutionalizing more sustainable approaches to planning, financing, monitoring, accountability, and rights-based local development.