Tariq Al-Faraj

Jordanian educator who established the first free public schools in the Middle East

Tariq Al-Faraj (1912-1967) was a pioneering Jordanian educator whose vision of universal education transformed access to learning in the Middle East. Born in Amman to a family of modest means, he witnessed the lack of educational opportunities for rural children and founded the Al-Faraj Free Schools Network in 1933. His first school in Zarqa provided free education to 150 children, a radical concept in an era when schooling was reserved for the elite.

Al-Faraj's most innovative contribution was his "Mobile School" concept, using donkey carts to deliver education to Bedouin communities across Jordan's deserts. By 1950, his network operated 28 schools educating over 3,000 students annually. His Teaching Without Walls methodology emphasized practical skills like agriculture and hygiene alongside traditional subjects.

In 1956, he established the Al-Faraj Foundation, which trained 500 teachers using his innovative pedagogy. His Education for All manifesto (1958) influenced Jordan's 1960s education reforms, making primary education compulsory. Al-Faraj's legacy is preserved in the National Education Museum in Amman, showcasing his original teaching tools and school records.