Who Decides the Child's Education in Jordan?

The decision on a child's education under Jordanian law is connected to the guardian's guardianship over the child's affairs. Article 184 of the Personal Status Law provides that the guardian has the right to oversee the child's affairs, upbringing, education, and guidance, so overseeing education is at the core of guardianship over the person.

Article 190 adds that the father must maintain his children's education across its stages, and Article 191 addresses the guardian's election to educate the child in private schools and the resulting controls on the maintenance obligation according to ability. The guardian is the decision-maker in choosing education, while the custodian handles daily care and what relates to it.

On a dispute between the guardian and custodian about education, the matter is put to the Sharia Court to decide in a way that serves the child's interest, so the decision is not left to one party alone in case of dispute.

Assessing what serves the child's interest in education remains within the Sharia Court's competence on the facts of each case.

This is a general explanation based on Jordanian Personal Status Law and does not replace advice from a qualified lawyer in a specific dispute.