Date: 19 August 2007
Title: His Majesty King Abdullah II's letter to students on the occasion of the new scholastic year 2007-2008

In the name of God, the most Merciful, the Compassionate

And Praise be to God, Lord of All Things,
And Prayers and Peace be upon the Honest Arab Prophet,
And upon all Aal Al-Bayt and the Prophet's Companions,


Our Dear Sons and Daughters, the Students,
Peace, God's Mercy and Blessings be upon you,

The beginning of the school year is a reunion between our sons and daughters, who are Jordan's jewels and assets, and one of the most cherished institutions of the homeland, the educational institution with its different stages and specializations.

On this occasion, we would like to reaffirm our pride in our educational institutions, in our schools, colleges, institutes and universities, and to renew our keenness that they would all remain the source of our excellence, and a tower of identity and self-esteem.

We want these institutions to be our path and means to advancement, especially that Arab Hashemite Jordan was established, and grew up, in the school that glorifies the values of giving, sacrifice and devotion to our religion and our Arab identity. As our region passes through complicated and difficult political conditions, the importance of our national educational system becomes apparent. It is our foundation, since the education system is the maker of bright minds and the training ground for promising leadership.

Our institutions are required today to rise up to the level of the historical responsibilities they shoulder. In these times, when extremism, fanaticism, negative rejectionism and intolerance are becoming a common culture in some communities, we look to educational institutions to protect our dear Jordanian citizens by preventing our slide into such thinking and ensuring that citizens exercise sound judgment and rational thinking. Otherwise, the community would loose these individuals - who are the noblest of our assets - and be denied their giving.

This vital intellectual role lies at the heart of the educational process in Jordan, and those in charge of this process are role models, blessed with knowledge and culture. On their shoulders rests the responsibility to care for the young generations of Jordanians, male and female, and to lead them to the fields of knowledge and shores of innovation. The student also bears responsibility for achievement through hard meticulous work.

Rising nations do not advance and achieve prosperity and welfare except through acquiring knowledge. We in Jordan are resolved to achieve revival and positive change, and entrench the principles of participation, justice, equal opportunity, tolerance and respect for differing opinions. Public and private educational institutions are but the basic tributaries to establish these noble principles.

Just as we require teachers to be giving, open and innovative while they are playing their vital role in the educational process, we urge our dear students, female and male, to excel and distinguish themselves, benefit from every available opportunity, be persistent and shoulder responsibility. Rest assured that your success is success for the homeland and its people, and a sign of its progress and its civilization. Our dear students,

Since the educational process is reciprocal between teachers and students, we are keen to elevate the two wings of this vital sector. The socio-economic empowerment of teachers, through the provision of proper housing and a decent income, is just a first step towards realizing welfare for those working in the educational sector. The welfare of educators tops our national priorities in our process of development and modernization. Projects to support students and initiatives to provide schools with technology, research and knowledge tools, is a complementary step towards knowledge revolution, and it is receiving our utmost attention and support. Our dear sons and daughters,

At the beginning of this school year, we call on our educators to pledge to the homeland excellence and constructive competition, and to be generous in giving and keen to acquire knowledge. You should know that our achievement and progress starts with you, and will not be won without your effort.

I wish you many happy returns of the day; Peace, God's mercy and blessings be upon you.

Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein
Amman:
19 August 2007