Midterm Review of

1

• Midterm Review of
• Education
• Sector
• 22 23 June 2009, Baghdad

2

Partnerships and Coordination
UN Agencies UNICEF, UNESCO, UN-HABITAT, WHO,
UNIFEM, ESCWA, UNAMI/HRO, WFP, UNOPS, ILO, UNFPA,
OCHA, IOM NGOs (International/national) PIN,
JEN, TDH Italy, Islamic Relief, Relief
International, EMDH, ACTED, NCA, NCCI, IRD, Mercy
Hands, IOCC, IMC, Mercy Corps, Intersos, IRC,
ICMC, PU Chaired by UNICEF Line Ministries
Ministry of Planning and Development
Cooperation, Ministry of Education, Ministry of
Higher Education
Supporting the terminal exams in grades 6,912
Supply of school bags
3

Young people receive vocational training at the
juveniles centre in Erbil in 2008
A girl attends (ALP) Accelerated Learning
Programme class in Wassit
Rehabilitation of school infrastructure
4
UN Assistance Strategy

• To contribute to the achievement of the goals
  defined in the National Development Strategy
  (NDS), International Compact with Iraq (ICI)
  benchmarks, and Millennium Development Goals
  (MDGs)
• Education Sector

• National priority or goals (NDS 2007- 2010)
• Target 4 Completing all curricula in primary and
  secondary education levels for all girls and
  boys
• Target 5 Waiving off gender discrimination in
  all educational levels

5
UN Assistance Strategy (cont.)

• ICI Targets
• Target 1 Reduce illiteracy by 50
• Target 2 Achieve basic universal education
• Millennium Development Goals
• MDG 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education
• Target 2A Ensure that by 2015, children
  everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to
  complete a full course of primary school.
• MDG 3 Promote gender equality and empower women
• Target 3A - Eliminate gender disparity in primary
  and secondary education preferably by 2005, and
  at all levels by 2015.

6
Sectoral Achievements and Contributions

• ICI Targets Development of National Education
  Strategy
• Partnership among World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF
  to support the MoE and the MoHE in the
  development of a National Education Strategy.
• Common vision and mission for both education and
  higher education in Iraq as well as an
  implementation plan for capacity development.

7
Sectoral Achievements and Contributions (cont.)

• 2. Enhanced access to schools
• More than 66,750 school children (53 girls) are
  attending 133 rehabilitated child friendly
  schools with facilities and improved
  environments including connection to water
  supply, the installation of water tanks and
  establishment of separate toilets for girls.
• 251 schools with improved water and sanitation
  facilities.
• Reduced over-crowded classrooms and increased
  access for more than 12,000 school children with
  300 newly constructed classrooms.
• 165 science laboratories established and 58
  libraries for e-learning activities as part of an
  innovative learning initiative.

8
Sectoral Achievements and Contributions (cont.)

• 3. Non-formal learning opportunities for out of
  school children and illiterate young people
• More than 37,000 students enrolled in the
  Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) a
  compressed primary education program designed for
  out of school children.
• At least 300 literacy students enrolled in five
  Community Learning Centres (CLCs).
• 350 out-of-school unemployed young people trained
  on different construction trades.

9
Sectoral Achievements and Contributions (cont.)

• 4. Improved technical and educational capacities
  of Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher
  Education, and students
• 3,430 ministry staff members are better able to
  plan, manage, and implement educational
  programmes.
• 1,475 trained teachers to promote school health
  and hygiene.
• 123 higher education students/teachers exposed to
  external training in new teaching methods,
  subject updating, curriculum review, training
  package development and field visits for a few
  members in the Foundation of Technical Education
  (FTE)
• 12 university professors went on fellowships to
  Italy and Germany in Peacekeeping Management and
  in their related fields of expertise.

10
Sectoral Achievements and Contributions (cont.)

• 5. Increased access of students to primary and
  secondary schools textbooks educational
  programmes
• A newly created website to access Iraqi primary
  and secondary school textbooks (www.schooltextbook
  s.org).
• An educational TV channel has been established in
  Baghdad where teaching and educational programmes
  are being broadcasted together with TV spots
  promoting human rights, democracy, gender
  equality, health and other life skills.
• 6. Humanitarian education interventions for IDPs
  and refugees
• Over 105,252 students directly benefited from
  humanitarian education activities in 266 schools
  in target vulnerable areas inclusive IDPs and
  refugee settings.
• 178 classrooms rehabilitated or newly constructed
  to increase access and reduce overcrowded schools.

11
Sectoral Achievements and Contributions (cont.)

• 7. Provision of education materials and aids
• 2,450 Early Childhood Development (ECD) kits were
  distributed to ECD centres, kindergartens and
  early primary school grades
• 100,100 school children (Girls 43 Boys 57)
  received basic learning materials
• 2,400 teachers received teaching materials
• 6,535 screened students received visual /
  hearing aids
• 5 ICT Teacher Training Centers 1 ICT
  Development Centre were provided with e-learning
  materials

Fifth grader sits in her newly refurbished
classroom and receive school kit - Baghdad
12
Lessons Learned

• UN coordinated efforts in planning and
  implementation of education programme is proven
  vital.
• Regular and updated education data is crucial to
  ensure evidence based strategic planning and to
  address gaps of education interventions.
• Strengthening educational planning, policy and
  strategy for long term education planning and
  management are critical components.
• Excessive centralized decision-making and lack of
  autonomous institutions, lack of highly qualified
  teaching personnel, outdated programmes and
  curricula, lack of mechanisms for quality
  assurance and an inadequate environment for
  research and development are serious constraints
  faced by higher education.
• Strengthening school communities, enhancing
  parents engagement in school management
  affairs and ensuring community participation are
  critical factors to the development of a
  decentralized school system.

13
Key Challenges

• Remote operation from Amman is still an obstacle
  towards achieving a balance between
  implementation, proper monitoring security risks
  and visibility.
• Delays in implementing some of the projects were
  attributed to the increase of market prices and
  rates for the rehabilitation and construction
  cost.

A young girl plays with ECD kit at a
kindergartenErbil 2008
Supply of learning materials
14
Key Challenges

• Continue UN coherence in programme planning and
  implementation.
• Various planning processes within the government
  and UN to be more integrated. Ensure the National
  Education Strategy to inform the education
  component of the National Development Plan
  2010-2014.
• Revision of the Education Sectors results matrix
  to focus on
• 1. Access to quality education
• 2. Strengthened institutional human capacity of
  the Education Sector to deliver quality
  education at all levels