Strengthening Education in Iraq
Published: Jan 31, 2024 Reading time: 2 minutes
Kurdistan, Iraq—Supporting the education system in Iraq requires great effort. Despite its current challenges, a collaborative and resolute approach can pave the way to the restoration and revitalisation of the education system. This can thus, play an important role in supporting the country's recovery. To this end, we launched a project to assist students, teachers, and schools in northern Iraq. This spanned from January to December 2023.
Co-funded by the Czech Republic’s Foreign Development Cooperation (CZDA) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the project provided a comprehensive range of activities. These included remedial classes, school greening, climate change awareness, student club activities, Kurdish language courses, and psycho-social support. In addition, we provided training for teachers and the Department of Education to help vulnerable students and the education sector in northern Iraq.
The key components of the project:
1. School Rehabilitation/Maintenance:
- Basirma Camp / Rojava Basic School for Refugees: Upgrades included the provision of taps for handwashing, maintenance of air conditioning units, installation of lamps, door handles, and basketball boards, along with fixing leaks in the roof.
- Basirma Camp / Secondary Basic School for Refugees: Improvements involved the supply and installation of toilets, showers, door handles, taps, and electrical maintenance.
- Shaqlawa District / Ansam Basic School for IDPs: Undertook tree planting, gardening, and sunshade construction.
2. Educational Services Provided:
• Remedial classes (NFE-Classes)
• Psycho-social support (PSS) and student club activities
• Kurdish language classes
• Donation of textbooks
• Gamified climate change awareness campaign
• Capacity-building training for Department of Education/Ministry of Education (DoE/MoE) staff on gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive pedagogies
• Support to Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) in schools
• Provide teachers with teaching and learning materials in the formal schools (recreational kits + PSS – Behavioural change material production)
3. Educational Services Provided:
- 1,921 individuals benefited (905 males and 1,016 females)
- 1,844 students benefited (860 boys and 984 girls)
- 45 teachers supported (27 males and 18 females) and 32 PTAs (18 males and 14 females)
The activities facilitated significant progress in the student's educational and mental well-being, improving exam performance, particularly in Kurdish language exams.
We supported refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host community students. Thanks to the generous co-funding from the Czech Republic’s Foreign Development Cooperation (CZDA) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW).
For more information, please contact:
In the Czech Republic:
Tomáš Kocian, People in Need’s Regional Director for the Middle East
☎ +420 777 787 970, ✉ tomas.kocian@peopleinneed.net
In the Middle East:
Bernard M. Borkhosh, People in Need’s Country Director for Iraq
☎ +964 772 978 9831, ✉bernard.borkhosh@peopleinneed.net
