Rev. Samir Esaid
School Administrator & Co-founder
Founded AES in 2003 after seeing the barriers facing blind children in northern Jordan, and leads the school through the Anglican Church in the Middle East.
About AES
A school founded on a simple belief
Every child deserves a real education — including the blind and visually impaired children that Jordan’s other schools had no room for.
Our History
From one kindergarten to a whole school
The Arab Episcopal School was founded in September 2003 by Rev. Samir Esaid and Mrs. Sabah Zurikat through the Anglican Church in the Middle East. It began as an integrative kindergarten to reach the blind and visually impaired children of northern Jordan, who otherwise had no option for education except to travel to Amman — an hour’s drive from Irbid.
Rev. Samir and Mrs. Sabah saw the difficulty in sending such young children away from their homes for weeks in order to gain an education. Many of these children had spent their lives out of the public eye because of a cultural emphasis on shame and honour.
Through the ministry and work of AES, these children are now given an opportunity to go to school — to learn to read and write, and to interact in a natural and safe environment alongside their sighted peers.
When we first opened, our student body consisted of only a kindergarten class, with one blind and one low-vision student. By the end of that first school year, we had grown to include six blind and four low-vision students.
In 2005 we began our elementary school, starting with first grade. Today AES is the only school of its kind in Jordan that works to integrate sighted, low-vision and blind students.
- 2003
Founded as an integrative kindergarten in Irbid.
- 2005
Elementary school begins with first grade.
- Today
17 blind, 17 low-vision and 141 sighted students — K–12.
Our Community
Growing up together
More than a School
A presence of the Arab Episcopal Church
AES serves northern Jordan as a presence of the Arab Episcopal Church — developing each student’s academic capability as well as their character through peace education, respect for human rights, volunteer work and good stewardship of the environment.
Our sustainability and community work has been recognised beyond the classroom, including the Zero-Project award for environmental innovation.
Leadership
The people behind AES
Mrs. Sabah Zurikat
Headmistress & Co-founder
Leads daily school life from kindergarten through the elementary classes, with a heart for every child who walks through our gates.
Our teachers & staff
The heart of the school
Teachers, vision specialists and support staff who make inclusion real in every classroom — and welcome visitors from Jordan and abroad alike.
Keep Exploring
Our mission, values & programmes
From kindergarten to secondary — see how every aspect of our school lives out the vision of inclusion.