Jordan | Winter school hours begin in the Kingdom's schools... Details

The Jordanian Ministry of Education announced an official change to school hours in public schools, effective Sunday morning, November 2, 2025, as part of steps to adapt to the challenges associated with summer time being fixed throughout the year.

The ministry explained in its statement that the decision aims to ensure students arrive at their schools after sunrise, thus enhancing their safety during the winter months, noting that this amendment will continue until the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan 2026. The ministry denied that the decision includes private schools, stressing that the amendment is official for all education directorates in the Kingdom.

Details of the new working hours for public schools

Single-shift schools:

• Schools will open their doors to receive students starting at 7:45 AM.
• The morning assembly will begin at 8:15 AM.
• The first class starts at 8:30 am, with each class lasting 45 minutes.

Two-shift schools:

• Morning period: The same schedule as single-period schools, where the assembly starts at 8:15 AM and the first period is at 8:30 AM.
• Evening period: The line-up starts at 12:50 pm, and the first class is at 1:00 pm, with the class duration set at 35 minutes.
• Cancel the five-minute break between classes to make up for lost study time.

Adapting to established daylight saving time

This decision comes as a practical response to the government’s decision to maintain daylight saving time (UTC+3) throughout the year, which aims to take advantage of daylight hours and reduce the confusion caused by changing the clock twice a year.

The ministry pointed out that applying daylight saving time throughout the year led to a delay in sunrise during the winter, which would have forced students to go out and travel in complete darkness, raising concerns related to traffic safety and personal security.

The ministry confirmed that this change in school hours came after parents demanded it, to ensure their children arrive at schools during daylight hours, and to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for students.