Letter to Jordanian teachers on the occasion of Teacher's Day

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

My Dear Brothers, Esteemed Teachers,

Peace and God's blessings upon you,

It is with great pleasure that Her Majesty Queen Rania and I express to you how proud we are of your achievements. We convey to you our sincere appreciation of your good work and congratulate every one of you on Teacher's Day, a day that reflects your society's gratitude for your noble message and the importance of your role in the upbringing of generations and in elevating the standard of human intellect, the development of people's capacity, the fulfilment of their creative capabilities and their preparation as effective contributors to society, empowered to face challenges and conform to the spirit of this age, which is characterised by constant modernisation and development.

We stand today saluting the nobility and greatness of your message and congratulating you on this Teacher's Day, assuring you of our support and looking to you as the reliable persons entrusted with the upbringing of our generations and directing them to the path of the future which is characterised by prevalence of knowledge, informatics, modern technology and how to best acquire and utilise these.

Hence, the most prominent characteristics of the teacher in this modern age is that he is unique and unconventional; he considers his differences with others to be a wealth of information; he practices innovative, critical thinking and has the capacity and willingness for comprehensive and sustainable education. He is the supportive friend, the outstanding leader, the initiator, the interlocutor, the supervisor, the guide, the facilitator of the learning process, the role model and the counsellor.

We are aware that it is the right of everybody who works hard and with sincerity to be awarded for his work, and to see the results of his efforts translated into material and moral gains that are reflected on his life standard. But we are convinced, at the same time, that the adoption of the regulations for teachers and the correlation between material promotion with development in the spheres of knowledge and career through training and innovation are among the most significant factors that encourage teachers to acquire and constantly develop specialised talents; after all, a person’s worth is measured by what he gives, and the degree of respect for any individual in society is related to that individual's self respect, pride in his work, willingness to upgrade his career and his firm belief in the importance of his role and status in society.

With all the above in mind, we will do our best to improve teachers' professional and living status, and to restore respect, appreciation and prestige to this noble profession. Suffice it to say, teachers, that you are greatly honoured in being the guardians of the principles, values and culture that formulate the nation's identity and the essence of its civilisation. You are the ones who build the individual, chart the path of the future and pave the way for our generations to attain knowledge, science, modernisation, development and the improvement of the individual's life standard, refining his personality and enriching his knowledge and intellect. What profession, then, is more honourable than this profession of yours, with which every human is honoured to be associated? Rania and I look forward to be incorporated, as of this day, in your ranks as your proud colleagues.

Again, we salute you wherever you are in our dear country, and we congratulate you on this day of yours, assuring you of our pride in you and our appreciation of your great message.

May God guide us all to what is good for our country and nation.

Peace, God’s mercy and His blessings upon you,

Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein
Amman, 4 October 2004