Main Barriers to Education
- Conflict & security
- Lack of trained teachers
- Gender discrimination
Interventions to Barriers
- Data maintenance & analysis
- School management & teacher training
- Psychosocial support & alternative curriculum
In a region that has known all too brief episodes of peace and stability since the onset of the MDGs in 2000, some countries have made veritable strides towards universal primary education and the MDGs. Iraq has been unable to outpace its circumstances in this regard. Though the government is committed to providing free quality education (from primary through higher education), strengthening its national education system and building capacity, the challenges afflicting Iraq’s education sector are prevalent. To date – according to UNESCO there are approximately 227,000 Syrian refugee children in the country as a result of the conflict.
In recognition of its challenges, the government has identified pre-service and in-service teacher training, OOSC enrolment, particularly for girls, and developing curriculum specifically for children in crisis-affected areas as priorities.
In an attempt to support Syrian refugee children within Iraq’s borders, EAC has partnered with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. The project specifically seeks to increase access to safe-learning spaces, expand remedial education, and strengthen alternative education programmes for OOSC, as well as construct and rehabilitate learning spaces and support teacher-training initiatives.
Geographic Location: Middle East
Languages: Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Turkmen, Assyrian and Armenian
Projects
EAC Partnership Iraq
The EAC Partnership Iraq project is implemented by the UNESCO's Iraq office and seeks to enroll 30,000 out of school children in four governorates of Iraq in quality primary education programs.
Equitable Access to Education for Out of School Children Affected by the Crisis in Syria
The crisis in Syria is now in its fifth year and every day the risk of a lost generation of children grows. Nearly 14 million children have been affected by escalating conflict. Half of all Syrians are displaced and close to 2 million children have fled for neighboring countries and are living in overcrowded camps, inadequate informal settlements, or host communities, where tensions are rising between refugee and local populations.
Partners
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has partnered with EAC to work toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 2, ensuring universal primary education. As a strategic partner UNESCO works with EAC to advance the agenda of out of school children at an international level. In partnership with EAC, UNESCO also implements projects in ten countries to ensure that out of school children have an opportunity to complete a full course of primary education.
