The British Council celebrates success of 102 high-achieving students
Amman, Jordan: Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, The British Council in Jordan hosted the 19th edition of the Queen Rania Outstanding UK Learner Awards on Thursday in recognition of the exceptional results of 102 Jordanian students in the IGCSE, International GCSE, International AS & A Level, GCE, and GCSE exams by Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, and OxfordAQA.
In addition to celebrating the achievements of students who have completed the UK International Curriculum in Jordan, the annual ceremony also recognized the contributions of nine distinguished teachers and congratulated parents who supported their children throughout their academic journey.
Speaking at the ceremony, British Council Director Exams – MENA North, Ameera Mannaa said, "The Queen Rania Outstanding UK Learner Awards are a testament to the dedication and hard work of students, teachers, and parents in Jordan,' adding that the British Council is 'committed to supporting the development of education systems in Jordan and promoting international cooperation and understanding.'
Mannaa also noted that the 'ceremony is an opportunity for us to celebrate the achievements of these outstanding students, and to recognise the important role that education plays in shaping the future."
The awards ceremony was attended by over 400 guests, including 80 representatives from British Council Partner Schools, representatives from the Jordanian Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and representatives from UK awarding bodies, Cambridge, Pearson, and Oxford AQA.
Established in 2003, the Queen Rania Outstanding UK Learner Awards align with Her Majesty's vision to foster excellence in education across Jordan.
For media enquiries, please contact: Anna Koniuhova, Head of Communications, MENA at Anna.Koniuhova@britishcouncil.org
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022–23 we connected with over 600 million people overall.
For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org . You can also keep in touch with the British Council through http://twitter.com/britishcouncil and http://blog.britishcouncil.org/ .
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Web Release
4 days ago
- Web Release
Miqyas Al Dhad Completes Arab World's Largest Field Survey Ahead of Launching First Comprehensive Scientific Framework to Assess Arabic Literacy
In a significant milestone towards enhancing Arabic reading proficiency among native students, Arabic Scale – known as 'Miqyas Al Dhad' has successfully concluded the final phase of its comprehensive field survey. This achievement paves the way for the official launch of the Arabic reading scale in the third quarter of this year, following an intensive research effort grounded in advanced scientific methodologies. The field survey was carried out in collaboration with Ministries of Education and school chains across the Arab world and involved the active participation of hundreds of educators and language experts. The field survey encompassed over 110,000 students from 204 schools across 70 rural and urban areas in nine Arab countries, namely the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Sultanate of Oman, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the State of Libya, the Lebanese Republic, and the Republic of Iraq, reflecting the initiative's scope and scale. The field survey was administered digitally using tablets, desktops, and computer labs. Rigorous proctoring was followed to ensure security of survey administration. In developing the field survey items, several reading frameworks and standards were reviewed and the socio-cognitive framework for reading (Khalifa & Weir, 2009) was utilized. It should be noted that the sociocognitive framework for reading has been used by reputable examination boards such as Cambridge. The key components of the sociocognitive framework for reading comprehension are linguistic knowledge, cognitive processing, background knowledge, and metacognitive strategies. In building the reading items for the survey, a rigorous methodology was followed in terms of recruiting, inducting, training, monitoring and evaluating item writers to ensure the highest standards of item quality. The Arabic Scale is developed using triangulation scientific research methodology that integrates both quantitative and qualitative analyses of multiple data sources. In addition to data gathered from the field survey on students' reading proficiency, the second data source involved the creation of a large Arabic corpus featuring over 70 million structures and words, derived from more than 8,000 carefully curated Arabic texts from various subject areas, fields and topics reflecting the language's richness, culture, heritage and diversity. The third data source was via conducting a pairwise comparative study with participation from over 450 Arabic language experts and educators from 18 Arab countries. In this study, participants were given two passages and had to identify which one was more difficult. The data collected from this study was used to create rankings of difficulty for 2,000 passages. These were the basis for the machine learning algorithms of Miqyas Al Dhad readability formulae. Pairwise study is a known methodology in the machine learning field. Smart and Comprehensive Services / Innovative and Large-scale Solutions Miqyas Al Dhad offers a comprehensive suite of smart tools and services designed to elevate Arabic reading proficiency and enable accurate assessment of reading ability and text readability. At the Centre of it all is the Reading Scale, an innovative tool that evaluates reading comprehension, empowering educators to assess student reading ability and pinpoint learning needs accurately. Additional tools include: a validated item bank of reading items suitable for each school grade; a Smart Text Analyzer, an AI-powered tool for evaluating text complexity; and high frequency keyword lists offering a rich academic vocabulary database for every school grade. It also includes 'Find-a-Book', a smart digital hub that provides students, educators, and parents with measured texts and books suitable for their reading levels and interests. Miqyas Al Dhad further supports educators through its innovative Reading Growth Plan, a predictive system that monitors student reading development over time and delivers actionable insights to guide educational planning based on individual needs. A Scientific Reference for Arabic Educational Development Miqyas Al Dhad marks a significant milestone in advancing Arabic literacy. By providing standardised, research-based tools, it enables the creation of more effective and responsive educational curricula tailored to the needs of educators. Additionally, it provides educational decision-makers and researchers with accurate data to understand linguistic challenges and devise sustainable solutions. The initiative aims to empower students to use Arabic confidently and efficiently across various academic and professional contexts, establishing new criteria for excellence in Arabic language learning.
The National
15-06-2025
- The National
Why does the date of Father's Day change every year?
If you have stepped foot in a mall recently, you'll be well aware that Father's Day is right around the corner, thanks to the shop displays and advertisements reminding us to Father's Day gift guide: Tech, trainers and timepieces. However, you are forgiven if you're a little confused about the exact date of the holiday, as it varies from country to country. The majority of countries, including the US, UK, India and Philippines, traditionally celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday of June. It means that while the day remains consistent – a Sunday – the date for international Father's Day is constantly changing. In 2023, it fell on June 18, while last year it was on June 16. This year, it is on June 15. However, not all countries celebrate Father's Day on the same day. In the UAE – as well as Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan – Father's Day is celebrated annually on June 21. Many European countries, including Croatia, Italy, Spain and Portugal, celebrate it on March 19. Meanwhile, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea mark the occasion on the first Sunday of September. There isn't much information on the discrepancy, other than the fact that countries have their own cultures and seasons, which have inadvertently influenced the date. History of Father's Day The credit for the conception of Father's Day goes to a woman. Some believe it's down to American Grace Golden Clayton, a West Virginia resident who suggested a one-time memorial to pay tribute to the 361 victims, 200 of which were fathers, of a coal-mining disaster that occurred in December 1907. In 1908, Clayton chose July 5 as the day for the memorial service (as it was the Sunday closest to her own father's birthday). To this day, a plaque hangs outside the church in Fairmont, West Virginia, that reads "First Father's Day service". However, this isn't commonly accepted as the start of the Father's Day tradition we have today. Instead, it is Sonora Smart Dodd, daughter of American civil war veteran William Jackson Smart, who is heralded as the founder of Father's Day. Dodd's mother died when she was a child, leaving her father to single-handedly raise her and her five brothers. After hearing much praise for Mother's Day and its importance, she decided to lobby church and public officials for the creation of a separate Father's Day, an idea that was popular with both groups. While originally supposed to take place on June 5, 1910, her father's birthday, it got pushed to the third Sunday of the month to be more convenient for local pastors. In the years that followed, the annual event grew in popularity, and Dodd lived to see then-US president Richard Nixon make it a national holiday in 1972. Dodd died in 1978, with her gravestone reading, "Founder of Father's Day". A version of this story was first published on June 17, 2001
The National
14-06-2025
- The National
Best photos of June 14: Iran strikes Israel to Book Biennial in Rio de Janeiro
King Charles III, Colonel-in-Chief of the Coldstream Guards, inspects the regiment at Windsor Castle before the Trooping the Colour military parade, in central London, marking his official birthday. AFP
