His Majesty King Abdullah II, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, on Thursday inaugurated the establishment of one of Jordan's most ambitious educational projects to date by breaking ground for the new King's Academy, modeled after Deerfield Academy in the US, inspired by King Abdullah's own experience at Deerfield.



One of the top priorities of King Abdullah II's ambitious reform agenda since his accession to the throne in 1999 is modernizing and enhancing the quality of education in Jordan and providing students with better opportunities.



Part of King Abdullah's commitment to educational reform is his vision of establishing a premier independent boarding high school in Jordan, serving students with a profound appreciation of diversity in backgrounds from across the Middle East and beyond.



The vision transcends the commitment to educate Jordanians and improve the nation's quality of life. King's Academy will serve as a model and inspiration for the highest international standards of educational achievement, and will strive to become a training ground for the region's next generation of business, community, and government leaders, where, says His Majesty, ''students from all backgrounds will learn and grow together to embrace personal and community values of justice, tolerance, citizenship, and compassion.'' To ensure the diversity of the student body, the not-for-profit private school will allocate 15% of tuitions revenue for student scholarships.



Located in Manja in the governorate of Madaba, south-west of Amman, King's Academy will be predominantly American high school based, but will also incorporate local culture, values and aesthetics-making it a uniquely Jordanian endeavor. Construction will include the creation, in addition to state-of-the-art classroom and housing facilities, of a professional-quality theater and auditorium an impressive array of sports facilities, and a technologically equipped library.



English will be the primary language of instruction, although certain subjects will be taught in Arabic. Foreign languages will be offered and supported by appropriate modern technology, and qualified, experienced teachers. Religious studies according to faith will be compulsory. International Baccalaureate will be also considered in the academy. As a boarding school with the highest standards of personal and academic accomplishment, King's Academy will also offer a full co-curricular program that will include opportunities in the arts, athletics, leadership and community development, and community service.



The Academy will be the leading high school in the region, bringing together the brightest young minds from across the Middle East, and is slated to open in September 2006 with 300 students and will reach full capacity of 600 students by 2008.



Grand in its scope, King's Academy seeks to help transform a volatile region one student at a time, planting the seeds for peace and stability among a new generation of future leaders. As King Abdullah put it: ''It will be a place where students will set aside class, background, and pretense to learn and grow together, while embracing individual and corporate values that include dignity, honesty, tolerance and compassion."