"Ma'an Secondary School for Boys: A Chronicle of Half a Century, 1921-1971"

Ma'an Secondary School for Boys: A Journey and Evolution Over Half a Century, 1921-1971"
Authored by: Dr. Mohammad Attallah Al-Khalifat and Mr. Musa Khalaf Al-Ma'ani
The book "Ma'an Secondary School for Boys: A Journey and Progression Through Half a Century 1921-1971" covers the changes in the Jordanian school environment by studying Ma'an Secondary School over a fifty-year period. This serious scientific study documents the history of one of the educational landmarks in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, namely Ma'an Secondary School. The book highlights the awareness of the Jordanian state and government and their significant interest in the education sector since the establishment of the Emirate, as well as the time periods covered in the book. It demonstrates the general interest of Jordanians, and particularly those in the Ma'an Governorate, in education, acknowledging it as the path to building a better future and achieving prosperity for the Jordanian state. The study also sheds light on the founding and development of the school and its significant role in the development of the Ma'an Governorate area.
rewriteThe book discusses changes in the school's hierarchy, teaching methods, and resources, and highlights the tangible development of Ma'an School into a leading educational center of high quality. Through graduating batches of students with intellectual and scientific skills, Ma'an School has successfully supplied society with qualified individuals to meet the nation's needs. The study indicates that the school's quantitative and qualitative achievements have had a clear impact on the environment and community of the Ma'an Governorate, which continuously strives for advancement and prosperity. The book also notes that this period of the school's history is rich with memories and experiences that have contributed to shaping its path and educational legacy.
The study delves into the history of Ma'an School, covering its origins and development, as well as detailing the administrative and teaching staff, technical aspects, school activities, and student life, including highlighting figures who graduated from the school.
The book consists of five chapters that shed light on the development of Ma'an Secondary School for Boys. The first chapter, titled “The Origin and Building,” discusses the school’s inception and development, including its infrastructure, educational ladder, and the role of Hashemite care. It highlights the school's facilities, including the principal's office, secretary’s room, teachers' room, educational aids room, sports room, science laboratories, classrooms, school library, vocational workshop, football field, health units, and student accommodation. The chapter also discusses the school’s furniture, how it was supplied, and the furnishings in each room or facility. It then moves on to the evolution of the educational ladder at the school, mentioning that it initially started as a preparatory and primary school until it underwent a significant shift in 1948 when the Ministry of Education decided to transform it into a secondary school. The final part of this chapter highlights the royal visits to the school, emphasizing the role of Hashemite care.
The second chapter, titled "The Administrative and Teaching Body," focuses on these bodies in two different time periods: before and after the year 1948, when the school transitioned to secondary education. The book describes the administrative and teaching staff of the school, known as Ma'an Primary School for Boys, before 1948, listing the principals who served during this period and the most prominent teaching staff who worked at Ma'an School during that time. It then discusses the school’s staff and divisions, including principals, vice-principals, teachers, secretaries, cooks, supervisors, attendants, and guards, in the period from 1948 to 1971.
The third chapter, titled "Technical Aspects and School Activities," addresses the curricula and textbooks, which are crucial components of the educational system, as well as the educational process and its core, as described by the book. This chapter first details the curriculum for different grades, class distribution, and exams. It then discusses the school's methods for assessing each student's achievement of study-related goals and the school's effectiveness in achieving its objectives. The chapter also covers general exams, including primary education certificate exams, general preparatory education (Mutrak) exams, and general secondary education certificate exams, as well as the subjects in which the school’s students were examined in both the literary and scientific streams. It also discusses educational inspection and guidance, tracing the evolution from the General Directorate of Education to the Ministry of Education in 1956, and changes in the inspection offices from "Education Inspection Offices" to "Directorates of Education and Teaching." The chapter then moves on to the school's sports activities, including establishing football, handball, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, and track and field teams, as well as social activities like the Jordanian Red Crescent Society school group, the poor student fund, school trips, Tree Day celebrations, and scouting groups. The book also discusses the Husseini Work and Construction Camps, student service and construction camps named after King Hussein bin Talal, covering twelve camps across the kingdom's provinces, and explains their objectives in detail.
The fourth chapter, titled "Students and Administrative and Financial Aspects," deals with the students and the administrative and financial aspects related to them. It discusses the financial conditions of the residents of the Ma'an region during the period covered by the study, the reasons behind the decline in student enrollment, and describes the situation in areas like Wadi Musa and Shobak. The book also covers the challenges faced in the Ma'an desert during that period. It notes that Ma'an city was the main source of students for the school throughout the Emirate era and includes tables showing the number of students in different years. This chapter also separately addresses the mechanisms of control and discipline for students, detailing how students are monitored by the school director and teachers in terms of attendance, behavior, and morals, how inspections by teachers were conducted, and the formation of relevant disciplinary committees. The chapter then discusses the school schedule, including the dates of the start of academic terms, daily attendance hours for students and teachers, school holidays, and the differences and challenges faced by Ma'an School in each era. It also mentions the rules of the morning assembly and the anthems sung by students, as well as school fundraising, the duties and tasks of the school principal, teacher salaries and categories, the teachers' council and its subcommittees, and aspects related to spending, heating, and building maintenance.
Finally, the fifth chapter, titled "Notable Alumni," presents the journeys of some school graduates who have made significant contributions to public and institutional life in Jordan. It introduces several alumni who have held high-ranking positions in the state.
These chapters offer a comprehensive overview of the school's history and legacy over half a century of development and achievements. This study is a rich source of information about Ma'an, containing the history of a prestigious Jordanian educational institution, established in the Hijazi neighborhood of Ma'an under the official Ottoman name "Ma'an Hijazi Primary School," and existing in Ma'an since 1892.