There are around 6.3 million people in Jordan. Accurate statistics are difficult to obtain but estimates are that 50-70% of all Jordanians hail from Palestinian origins. There are 1,900,000 Palestinian refugees registered with the U.N. in Jordan. Of these, 340,000 are living in 10 camps while the others are integrated into Jordanian towns and villages. All Palestine refugees in Jordan have full Jordanian citizenship with the exception of about 120,000 refugees originally from the Gaza Strip.
In the refugee camps, houses are small and very close together. Roads are very narrow and some are still unpaved. It is normal for a family with six or eight children to live in a four room home
As in other areas, education is provided for refugee children by the United Nations. Most schools have two shifts because the number of schools is not sufficient for the number of students. Palestinian children go to school 6 days a week. Even with 2 shifts of school, classes are over-crowded with 40 to 45 students in each class.
Seniors in high school spend most of the year studying for a big exam that will determine, if they graduate, what they will be able to study in the university and which university they can attend. Families with any extra money hire private tutors to help their children prepare for this exam. Most students try to finish high school and many go on to college. Many Palestinians desire to study English in order to improve their opportunities for work and future schooling. Education is highly valued among Palestinians. Many continue their studies in order to receive a Master's or Doctorate degree.
Palestinians also like to work for the government because these jobs have good health care benefits for their families. In the past, it has been difficult for Palestinians to find jobs in these fields because of a general distrust of Palestinians by the Jordanian government. Government jobs are often given to relatives of people in power, most of whom are Jordanian. This seems to be changing because young Palestinians today are born in Jordan as were their fathers and some grandfathers. There seems to be more opportunities opening up in this field for younger Palestinians who work hard and make very good grades although unemployment remains a problem. The government of Jordan has recently waged a campaign called "Jordan First". This has done much to create a feeling of unity among all Jordanians... no matter what their background might be... Bedouin, Palestinian, or Jordanian. It has been highly successful and has created a feeling that all are Jordanian and must work for the good of the country.
As in most Islamic societies, women have fewer choices in their own futures. Early marriages are still very common and sometimes to close relatives. Families are unwilling to allow their daughters to move, live away from home and go to the city where more jobs are available. Women are restricted to finding a job close to their families. Many have to wait for years before such a job opens up, usually when someone else retires. Most women remain in the home, however many more women are seen in the work force today. This increases their feeling of self worth and allows them to participate in the economy of their families.
