Where our Jordan families are
Smartious Jordan families concentrate across Amman (a regional headquarters city with one of the largest development and NGO communities in the region and a deep international tier), Aqaba (the sole port and special economic zone, four hours south), Irbid and the north (the university city, with medical and engineering ambitions and thin provision), Zarqa and the industrial belt (the refinery and manufacturing heartland, close to Amman and priced out of it), and the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley (minerals, agriculture and resorts spread down a long valley). One compulsory framework, one honest legal hedge, and no timezone at all.
The capital and regional headquarters city · one of the largest concentrations of UN agencies and international NGOs anywhere in the region · a deep international school tier at premium fees · a constantly rotating professional community
Jordan's sole port and its special economic zone · a Red Sea diving and tourism economy of international standing · logistics and shipping · four hours south of Amman's school tier
Jordan's university city — Yarmouk University and the Jordan University of Science and Technology · a major medical and engineering academic sector · one of the youngest populations in the country · thin international provision
Jordan's industrial capital — the refinery, chemicals and manufacturing · free zones and heavy industry · the second-largest population centre · almost no international provision
Potash, bromine and mineral processing at industrial scale · intensive irrigated agriculture below sea level · resort and wellness development · dispersed communities far from any school tier
How Smartious compares to top Jordan schools
Amman has one of the deepest international school tiers in the Levant — the Amman Baccalaureate School, the International Academy Amman, King's Academy, the American Community School, the Ahliyyah and Bishop's schools and the Modern American and Modern Montessori schools among them — with substantial IB and IGCSE provision built over decades. Those are strong institutions and their fees sit at the top of the regional market. Outside Amman the picture thins sharply: Zarqa is one of the country's largest population centres with almost nothing, Irbid is a major university city with little, and Aqaba and the valley have none.
| School | Curriculum | Fees (JOD/year) | Status / Rating | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Amman Baccalaureate School, International Academy Amman Amman | IB continuum and IGCSE | Premium tier | 4.8 | Long-established and strong — the national benchmark |
King's Academy and the American Community School Madaba / Amman | American, IB and boarding | Selective | 4.7 | Excellent and selective — a different proposition for most families |
The Ahliyyah, Bishop's and Modern schools Amman | National plus IGCSE and SAT | Widespread | 4.4 | Strong national schools running international qualifications alongside — the model most Jordanian families know |
Zarqa and the industrial belt Zarqa | Almost none | — | 0 | One of the largest population centres in the country with essentially no international provision |
Aqaba, Irbid and the valley Outside Amman | Thin to none | — | 0 | A port and economic zone, a university city and a minerals valley, none with a school tier |
Private tuition Nationwide | Exam-focused coaching | Widespread | 4 | The default answer to a subject gap — usually one-to-one and unstructured across a year |
Smartious Homeschool (Jordan via online delivery) Delivered nationwide | Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, IB DP, AP | JOD effectively fixed by the peg | 4.8 | Every class live through A-Level + zero timezone offset year-round + Zarqa, Aqaba, Irbid and the valley reached + honest that we could not verify the legal position |
Fee ranges reflect published 2026 tuition for Year 7-13 across the school's tier structure. Specific fees vary by year group and additional school charges (registration, capital fee, books, transport, uniforms). Smartious USD pricing translates to fixed JOD via the peg.
Homeschool laws & regulatory framework in the Jordan
Jordan is one of the markets where we could not verify the central question, and we would rather open by saying so than write around it. Here is what we can establish, and the two practical facts that shape our offer here more than the law does.
What we can establish
Education in Jordan is administered by the Ministry of Education, whose mandate is to ensure the provision of quality education from the early years through secondary education. Basic education is compulsory — commonly described as ten years, with families advised to confirm the current boundaries with the Ministry rather than take them from any article. Private schools operate with Ministry licensing, and Smartious does not hold it: we do not operate premises in Jordan, we claim no Jordanian recognition, and the qualifications we deliver carry Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB or AP validity rather than a domestic one.
What we could not establish
Jordan's position on parental home education. We could not verify it against a primary instrument, and we are not going to fill that gap with confident prose. We will not tell you home education is permitted in Jordan and we will not tell you it is prohibited; both would exceed what we can evidence. What we would add is the point we make in Panama, Guatemala and Venezuela: an absence of clear regulation is an absence of protection rather than a permission, because where a matter is unaddressed there is nothing for a family to demonstrate if the question is raised. Put it to the Ministry of Education directly.
The Tawjihi, and where our track sits
The national qualification is the Tawjihi, and we do not teach toward it. We say that plainly, though it is a less confusing point in Jordan than in most markets: a great many Jordanian private schools already run IGCSE, the IB and SAT alongside the national route, so families here generally understand that an international examination track sits beside the national record rather than replacing it. Jordanian universities admit principally on the Tawjihi with international qualifications entering through equivalency procedures — confirm that route early if a Jordanian university is the plan.
What we therefore build
Live Cambridge or IB teaching alongside a Jordanian school enrolment. The school carries the compulsory-education duty and the domestic record; we teach the internationally examined track alongside it. Nothing in that arrangement depends on the unresolved question, which is exactly why it is the arrangement we build.
The clock, which is genuinely without precedent for us
This deserves stating properly because Jordan is the first country in our entire coverage where it is true. Jordan runs UTC+3 year-round following the end of seasonal clock changes. Our teaching base runs UTC+3 year-round. That is a zero offset — not a small one, not one that shifts in summer, but none at all, permanently. Israel comes closest at one hour in winter and level in summer; Jordan is level always. The practical consequence is that our entire teaching day is available to a Jordanian family at exactly the hour it appears on their own clock. A seven o'clock evening class is seven o'clock for both of us. In ninety other markets the timetable is a constraint we work around and are honest about; here there is nothing to work around.
And the currency, which is unusually predictable
The Jordanian dinar is pegged to the US dollar at a long-standing fixed rate. Our fees are quoted in USD, which means a Jordanian family committing to five years of schooling is committing to a figure that is effectively fixed in their own currency as well. Across our coverage that is true only in a handful of markets — the dollarised ones and the pegged ones — and it removes a variable that families elsewhere have to plan around.
Why Jordan families choose Smartious
Reasons grounded in the realities of Jordan education — local school capacity constraints, corporate transfer and diplomatic timing, commute and logistics, currency stability, and the curriculum portability that mobile expat and dual-nationality families need.
Zero timezone offset, year-round
Jordan and our teaching base both run UTC+3 with no seasonal changes. The first market in our coverage with no offset at all — every hour of our day is available at the hour it shows on your clock.
Fees effectively fixed in dinars
The dollar peg means a USD-quoted multi-year commitment behaves predictably in local terms.
Built for a rotating development sector
Jordan hosts one of the largest UN and NGO concentrations in the region. One pathway continues unchanged to the next posting.
Zarqa, Aqaba, Irbid and the valley reached
Four regions carrying industry, trade, universities and minerals, none with an international school tier.
Honest about the question we could not verify
We could not establish Jordan's home-education position and say so rather than guessing in either direction.
Arabic kept as an examined subject
Cambridge Arabic alongside the English-medium core rather than traded away.
What you can verify about Smartious
We publish only facts we can substantiate — operational history, curriculum coverage, teacher base, and infrastructure. No invented testimonials or pass-rate claims.
Founder-led education company
Founded 2019 by Alfred Ouko (BEd Mathematics & Physics). Smartious operates a full teaching team of 11 with two international-standard operational centres established 2022 and 2023. Not a marketplace, not a freelance network.
Two operational centres
Live teaching is delivered to Jordan families from two international-standard operational centres, established 2022 and 2023. Teachers work from professional academic facilities with accountability and infrastructure beyond marketplace or freelance models.
Cambridge-trained PGCE specialists
Teachers are PGCE-qualified subject specialists with Cambridge International training. Subject specialism means a Chemistry teacher teaches only Chemistry — not generalist primary-style teaching.
120+ countries served
Active students in Jordan and 13 other markets across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. Verifiable through cross-country cohort interaction in live classes.
Ontario Diploma (OSSD) partnership
Smartious students can earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma through our partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private school). The OSSD is recognised by Canadian universities (OUAC), US universities (Common Application), UK universities (UCAS) and globally — particularly valuable for Canadian U15 applications.
5 international curricula
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level (primary offering), Pearson Edexcel International GCSE & A-Level, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) via Canadian Cross International School partnership. Multiple credential pathways per family.
Live class transparency
Every class is live with recorded sessions for review. Parents can audit class quality directly. This is materially different from pre-recorded video courses with light tutor support.
4.9 from 123+ verified Google reviews
“What I love most about Smartious is how they make learning enjoyable. The tutors use engaging methods that keep children interested throughout the lesson. My child now looks forward to studying instead of avoiding it.”
“I have peace of mind as a Smartious Homeschool parent. No more traffic and early morning rush to school. Smartious are the most organized homeschool providers.”
“I am truly impressed by the level of professionalism at Smartious Homeschool and Tuition. The tutors are not only knowledgeable but also very patient and supportive. They create a comfortable learning environment where children feel free to ask questions. My child now enjoys studying and looks forward to every session.”
Reviews above are from our verified Google Business Profile. For Jordan-specific parent references during your decision-making, request these during your free assessment — we can introduce you to current Jordan families happy to share their experience directly.
Accreditation, Recognition & University Pathways
Smartious students earn qualifications administered by independent international examination boards. Recognition flows from the board itself — not from the school that delivered the curriculum. Below is the accreditation, examination and verification framework that connects Jordanian Smartious students to universities worldwide.
Cambridge International
Cambridge Assessment International Education · University of Cambridge
Smartious's primary offer for Jordan families. Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A-Level delivered as live small-group classes at whatever hour suits — Jordan and our teaching base both run UTC+3 year-round, so there is no offset and nothing drifts — run alongside a Jordanian school enrolment that continues its own national track unchanged. Cambridge Arabic available beside the English-medium core. Fees quoted in USD, which the dinar peg makes unusually predictable locally.
Pearson Edexcel International
Pearson · UK Edexcel curriculum adapted for international delivery
International GCSE and International A-Level qualifications, administered by Pearson. Three examination series annually (January, May/June, October/November) providing additional flexibility versus the Cambridge twice-yearly schedule.
International Baccalaureate Organisation
IB Diploma Programme · IBO Geneva
IB Diploma administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Geneva. Recognised by leading universities globally with particularly strong weighting at US Ivy League, US selective liberal arts colleges, Canadian U15 and top European universities.
College Board
American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP)
AP courses and examinations administered by the College Board, the US non-profit responsible for the SAT and AP programmes. AP scores are widely recognised by US universities for university credit, plus by Canadian, UK, Australian and many universities worldwide.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Canadian Cross International School · Ontario Ministry of Education
OSSD earned through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School, an Ontario-inspected private school. Smartious students enrol concurrently with CCIS to complete the OSSD curriculum and credit requirements alongside Cambridge or other pathways. OSSD is one of the most recognised secondary credentials worldwide — particularly strong for Canadian U15 admissions via OUAC, US universities via Common Application, and UK universities via UCAS.
Examination centre arrangements in Jordan
International examinations require attendance at authorised examination centres on specific dates. In Jordan, established examination centres serve Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel and other major international qualifications.
Smartious manages examination registration logistics including centre selection, registration paperwork and deadline compliance. Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel examinations for Jordan-based students sit as external candidates at authorised provision, with capacity confirmed per family per session. Jordan is an easier market than most for this: the international school sector has run IGCSE and the IB for decades, so provision and familiarity are both well established, and Amman is checked first with travel planned ahead from Irbid, Aqaba and the valley. The country is compact enough that examination travel is generally a handful of day trips a year. Note what does not change: our arrangement runs alongside a Jordanian school, which continues its own national track unchanged. Smartious is not a Ministry-licensed Jordanian school, issues no Jordanian qualification, and does not teach toward the Tawjihi — what we teach carries Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB or AP validity instead.
University recognition worldwide
Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications are recognised across the major university systems globally.
the University of Jordan, the Jordan University of Science and Technology, Yarmouk University, the German Jordanian University, Princess Sumaya University for Technology and the American University of Madaba — with several institutions teaching substantially in English.
Cambridge · Oxford · Imperial College London · UCL · LSE · King's College London · Edinburgh · Manchester · Bristol · Birmingham · Warwick · Durham · the Russell Group · the broader UK system via UCAS
Harvard · Yale · Princeton · Columbia · Penn · Brown · Dartmouth · Cornell · Amherst · Williams · Pomona · UC Berkeley · UCLA · Michigan · Virginia · top liberal arts and public research universities via the Common Application
Toronto · McGill · UBC · McMaster · Waterloo · Western · Queen's · the U15 research universities · OUAC for Ontario applications
Melbourne · Sydney · ANU · Monash · Queensland · UWA · Adelaide · UNSW · the Group of Eight via UAC
NYU Abu Dhabi · Sorbonne Abu Dhabi · Khalifa · AUS · AUD · UAE branch campuses · KFUPM · KAUST · KSU · KAU · Saudi national universities · Education City Doha (Georgetown · Northwestern · CMU · Cornell · Texas A&M · HEC Paris · UCL)
Berlin Humboldt · Munich LMU · Heidelberg · RWTH Aachen · TU Munich · French Grandes Écoles · Amsterdam · Leiden · Utrecht · Bologna · Sapienza · ETH Zurich · EPFL
How universities verify qualifications
Universities verify Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications directly with the issuing examination boards through standard verification services — Cambridge International Verification of Awards, Pearson's Verification of Results, the IB Organisation's verification service, and the College Board AP Score Reporting service. The qualification's credibility comes from the examination board itself, which is why these qualifications are equally valid whether earned at a physical school or through Smartious.
Curriculum approaches we offer Jordanian families
British Curriculum
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level · Pearson Edexcel
Cambridge IGCSE: Years 10-11, eight to ten subjects. Cambridge A-Level: Years 12-13, three or four subjects in depth. Pearson Edexcel as British alternative with three examination series annually.
Jordan families targeting the Cambridge pathway. Best fit for: (1) development, NGO and diplomatic households whose postings rotate, (2) Aqaba, Irbid, Zarqa and valley families where provision is thin or absent, (3) Amman families outside the international tier's fees, (4) students aiming at medicine or engineering who need specific A-Level sets, (5) households arriving mid-curriculum from another country's system.
Live online classes at any hour of our teaching day, small groups 4-6 students, every session recorded, alongside a Jordanian school enrolment.
IB Diploma Programme
International Baccalaureate Organisation
Grades 11-12. Six subjects (three Higher Level, three Standard Level), plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay (4,000-word independent research paper), and Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS).
Jordan families in the country's substantial IB sector wanting live subject teaching, Theory of Knowledge, and Extended Essay supervision alongside their school.
Live online IB DP classes across all six subject groups plus Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay supervision.
American Curriculum
College Board · AP · SAT & ACT
US high school curriculum through Grade 12. Advanced Placement courses Grades 9-12 with college-level subject specialisation. SAT or ACT preparation integrated alongside curriculum delivery.
Jordan families targeting US universities via Common Application.
American Curriculum with AP courses Grades 9-12, SAT/ACT preparation, Common App essay coaching.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
OSSD · via Canadian Cross International School partnership
Grades 9-12 Ontario curriculum delivered through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private secondary school). Students complete the 30 credits required for OSSD including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and 40 community involvement hours.
Jordanian families targeting Canadian U15 universities (Toronto, McGill, UBC, McMaster, Waterloo, Western, Queen's) via OUAC, US universities via the Common Application, UK universities via UCAS, and Australian universities. The OSSD is particularly strong for direct Canadian university applications because students apply as Ontario secondary graduates rather than international students.
Live online instruction by qualified subject teachers, concurrent enrolment with Canadian Cross International School for official OSSD transcripting, Ontario course codes (ENG4U, MHF4U, SCH4U etc.) recorded against each student. CCIS issues the official Ontario diploma and transcript on successful completion of the OSSD requirements.
Primary, Secondary & Sixth Form
Primary Programmes
Ages 5-11 · Years 1-6 · Grades 1-5 · IB PYP
Cambridge Primary, Common Core or IB Primary Years Programme. Live classes are age-appropriate in length (40-50 minutes), scheduled in your local UTC+3 time zone to suit Primary-age attention spans. Small group sizes support individual attention. Weekly parent dashboards and monthly written reports cover academic and developmental progress.
Secondary Programmes
Years 7-11 · Grades 6-11
Lower Secondary (Years 7-9) builds the foundations for IGCSE entry. IGCSE Years (10-11) cover eight to ten subjects with examination registration at Authorised Jordanian Cambridge provision. One-on-one subject choice consultation at IGCSE entry aligns subjects with university targets. Mid-year arrivals accepted with academic catch-up support.
Sixth Form & University Preparation
Years 12-13 · Grades 11-12
Jordanian universities admit principally on the Tawjihi, with holders of international qualifications entering through equivalency procedures administered per institution and confirmed per case — a family intending to enter the Jordanian system should confirm that route early, and note that the Jordanian side of a student's record has to come from a Jordanian school rather than from us. Outward, Jordanian and expatriate students here apply in numbers to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and the Gulf: UCAS reads Cambridge A-Levels natively, American and Canadian universities read A-Levels, the IB Diploma and AP records directly, and Gulf institutions — many of them branch campuses of British and American universities — read them equally directly. A-Levels are accepted in 160+ countries. Smartious provides personalised university guidance across UK (UCAS), US, Canadian, Gulf and Jordanian destinations.
Eight reasons Jordanian families choose Smartious
Each reason is grounded in something verifiable — not in marketing claims.
Experienced international educators
Subject-specific degree-qualified teaching staff with cumulative experience across Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American Curriculum. Many hold advanced teaching credentials including PGCE, Cambridge PDT certification, or national teaching registration in their home jurisdiction.
Personalised learning plans
Every student begins with an initial assessment. The learning plan that follows is tailored to academic level, subject preferences, target universities and family situation — not a one-size-fits-all schedule.
Academic assessments
Initial diagnostic assessment. Weekly informal assessment within classes. Monthly formal assessments. Mock examinations under timed conditions during IGCSE and A-Level years. Results inform teaching adjustments.
Small class sizes
Online tier classes have four to six students. Online Plus has smaller groups. Premium is one-on-one. Class size affects individual attention, question response time, and student speaking time during class.
Progress monitoring
Weekly parent dashboards showing attendance and assessment results. Monthly written subject reports from each teacher. Termly comprehensive reports covering academic progress, study habits and university preparation.
Parent communication
Direct communication with subject teachers and form tutors via the parent portal. Email for admissions and pastoral matters, with response within one business day. Scheduled parent-teacher meetings each term.
Global student community
Live classes bring together students from across 14 countries. Wednesday afternoon enrichment programmes — coding, robotics, debate, Model UN, chess, journalism, leadership — develop collaborative learning across geographies.
University admissions guidance
Progressive guidance from Year 10 onwards. UCAS, Common Application, OUAC, UAC and direct university application support. Personal statement coaching, interview preparation and offer-management guidance.
Alfred Ouko
Founder, Smartious Homeschool & eSchool
Alfred Ouko is the founder of Smartious Homeschool & eSchool, established in 2019 while studying at the University of Nairobi. He has grown the organisation from a tuition support service into an international online school serving families across 14 countries, including Alfred Ouko founded Smartious in Nairobi in 2019 to make international qualifications accessible to families at online-delivery fees rather than campus ones. Jordan is the first country in our ninety-one that shares our clock exactly — same offset, all year, no drift — which makes it the one market where the timetable question simply does not arise..
Bachelor of Education (Science) — Mathematics and Physics, University of Nairobi (2022)
- Over six years supporting students through international curriculum pathways — Cambridge International (IGCSE and A-Level), Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, and homeschooling pathways.
- Direct teaching experience in secondary-level Mathematics and Physics across multiple international curriculum boards.
- Leadership of curriculum development, teacher recruitment and academic standards across Smartious's two international-standard operational centres and online programmes serving Jordan families.
- Specialism in supporting students through university admissions to Alfred holds a BEd in Mathematics and Physics — Smartious's Cambridge A-Level and IB Diploma STEM subjects are led personally when needed, suiting Zarqa's process engineering households, the valley's minerals sector and every medicine-bound student in Irbid and Amman. Head of Academics supervises curriculum delivery and university placement strategy per family..
“International curriculum mastery is achievable for students from any background when subject specialists, small class sizes, and individual academic plans are combined with the discipline and structure good schools provide.”
Common questions from Jordan families
Is homeschooling legal in Jordan?+
We could not verify a position from a primary Jordanian instrument and will not guess. Basic education is compulsory and administered by the Ministry of Education. An absence of clear regulation is not a permission — put the question to the Ministry directly. Structured study alongside a school enrolment raises none of it.
Do you teach the Tawjihi?+
No. We are not a Ministry-licensed Jordanian school and issue no Jordanian qualification. We teach Cambridge, Edexcel, IB and AP examinations, which sit alongside the Jordanian record — a distinction most families here already understand, since many private schools run IGCSE and the IB alongside the national route.
What time are classes?+
Any hour of our teaching day, at exactly the time it shows on your clock. Jordan runs UTC+3 year-round and so does our teaching base — a zero offset with no seasonal drift, and the first market in our coverage where that is true.
How do fees work with the dinar?+
We quote in USD, and the dinar is pegged to the dollar at a long-standing fixed rate — so a multi-year commitment behaves predictably in local terms, which is not the case in most of our markets.
We are on a UN or NGO posting — does the schooling follow?+
Yes: the same curriculum, teachers, and examination board continue to the next country. Many of our development-sector families re-enrol from a new posting rather than starting over, which is the clearest evidence the portability is real.
Will Jordanian universities accept Cambridge A-Levels?+
Jordanian universities admit principally on the Tawjihi, with international qualifications entering through equivalency procedures administered per institution. Confirm that route early if a Jordanian university is the plan. Outward, UK, US, Canadian and Gulf universities read A-Levels and the IB directly.
Where do Jordanian students sit Cambridge examinations?+
At authorised provision confirmed per family per session — Amman is checked first, with travel planned ahead from Irbid, Aqaba and the valley. Jordan is compact enough that this is a handful of day trips a year.
Which parts of Jordan does Smartious cover?+
Amman, Aqaba, Irbid and the north, Zarqa and the industrial belt, and the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley have dedicated pages. Live online delivery works identically anywhere in the country.
Jordanian students join a 14+ country global cohort
Live classes bring together students from across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. A Jordan student in our Year 11 IGCSE Mathematics class will be alongside peers in Cairo, Dubai, Bangkok, Seoul, Casablanca and Kigali. The Wednesday enrichment programmes (debate, Model UN, robotics, journalism) operate as one global classroom rather than thirteen separate national ones.