Zain establishes a 3 million Dinar fund to support education

Zain, part of the Zain Group, the leading mobile operator in the Middle East and Africa has launched a JD 3 million fund to support the educational sector in the Kingdom and to boost internet penetration amongst one of the most important segments of society. 

The “PC For Every Teacher” is a huge technological and internet-based initiative launched in cooperation with the ministries of Education and Information and Communications Technology. It is designed to support the visions and efforts of Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania to improve the educational system and to facilitate the penetration of modern technological tools amongst teachers and educators.

Launching the initiative were Minister of Education Dr. Ibrahim Badran, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Marwan Juma’ and Zain CEO Dr. Abdel-Malek Al-Jaber, who signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the fund.

Under the initiative, Zain would commit 3 million Dinars as a preliminary fund capital to provide all Ministry of Education employees with a package that includes a computer, a broadband subscription, and a GSM line with a special tariff designed to meet their needs.

Minister of Education Dr. Ibrahim Badran stressed that developing education and implementing pioneering programs and projects is at the top of his ministry’s priorities in implementation of His Majesty the King’s directives.

He said “this initiative is a fulfillment of the Ministry of Education’s efforts towards quality education, and a means to help students access new technological tools.”

Dr. Badran said signing the MOU with Zain is a solid proof of the partnership between the public and private sectors, in which his Ministry believes.

He also paid tribute to Zain’s efforts and initiatives in support of education in Jordan either through the “PC For Every Teacher” initiative, the Zain Education Fund, or its support of Her Majesty Queen Rania’s Madrasati initiative.

Minister of Information and Communications Technology Marwan Juma’ highlighted the success achieved by various public-private sector initiatives and programs in the educational, developmental and training spheres, and placed emphasis on the need for broad-based support to achieve the needed growth in the Kingdom’s educational system.

He said the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT) will support all efforts that aim at boosting the internet culture in the Kingdom by doubling existing user levels. “This would serve the objectives of building and advancing a knowledge-based economy, and raising internet penetration to 50% by the year 2012,” he added.

Zain CEO Dr. Abdel-Malek Al-Jaber said the “PC For Every Teacher” is an important qualitative jump in the efforts to facilitate and stimulate the educational process in the Kingdom. He said “it constitutes and important link between teachers, educators, and administrators on the one hand, and the modern technological tools which have become the basics for sharing knowledge, cultures, and expertise.”

Dr. Al-Jaber said Zain decided to aim this initiative at an important component of our society by facilitating teachers’ access to a computer, a broadband subscription, and a GSM line with a special tariff designed to meet their requirements and needs.

He said “with this initiative, we look forward to contribute effectively towards implementing the vision and aspirations of His Majesty King Abdullah II, and towards doubling internet penetration as a means to build a knowledge-based economy.”

“Zain will employ all its resources to embody those aspirations’” Dr. Al-Jaber concluded.

The “PC For Every Teacher” fund will offer teachers training courses on the use of computers in addition to a comprehensive services package which includes a PC or laptop at subsidized prices with low and interest-free monthly installments, in addition to a broadband subscription and a GSM line with a special tariff.

Ministry of Education educators and administrators will also have access to the fund which is hoped to cover all parts of the Kingdom.

Over the years, Zain has placed a great deal of attention on supporting the educational and training sectors in Jordan through various corporate initiatives. It provides 42 annual scholarships for excelling but needy students in all parts of the Kingdom, from which 150 students are currently benefiting from.

Zain also provides free training courses to high school graduates of all scientific disciplines in its cellular phone maintenance training center. It has also established a communications laboratory at the Jordan University of Science and Technology which benefits hundreds of engineering students as well as research and graduate students.