Shafaq News/ Addressing the challenges faced by the education system in Iraq, People in Need (PIN) has initiated a project to aid students, teachers, and schools in the northern region.
The project, funded by the Czech Republic's Foreign Development Cooperation (CZDA) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW), ran from January to December 2023.
The comprehensive project encompassed various activities to support vulnerable students and the education sector:
1. School Rehabilitation/Maintenance:
- Basirma Camp/Rojava Basic School for Refugees: Upgrades included water chrome mixers for handwashing, air conditioning unit maintenance, lamp installation, door handle provision, basketball board installation, and roof leak repairs.
- Basirma Camp/Secondary Basic School for Refugees: Improvements involved supplying and installing toilet shower sprays, door handles, water chrome mixers, and electrical maintenance.
- Shaqlawa District/Ansam Basic School for IDPs: Activities included tree planting, gardening, and sunshade construction.
2. Educational Services Provided:
- Remedial classes (NFE-Classes)
- Psychological-social support (PSS) and student club activities
- Kurdish language classes
- Donation of textbooks
- Climate change awareness campaign through gamification
- 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
- Providing teachers with teaching and learning materials in formal schools (recreational kits + PSS – Behavioral change material production)
3. Educational Services Impact:
- 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 project demonstrated significant progress in students' educational and mental well-being, improving exam performance, especially in Kurdish language exams. PIN's efforts extended support to refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host community students, thanks to the generous co-funding from CZDA and ECW.