The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a one million dollar, one-year grant to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide support for basic education in Iraq.
UNICEF will promote a Back-to-School campaign aimed at the over 25 percent of children currently not attending primary school, most of whom are female. The grant will also assist UNICEF in developing an education management system to improve education planning and management countrywide.
As security permits, UNICEF will conduct rapid assessments to determine the availability of school materials. It will also work to set up temporary schools where none presently are functioning, train teachers, and establish accelerated learning programs throughout the country.
UNICEF has been active in Iraq for over 50 years, working in the fields of primary and secondary education as well as education planning and management. The US government has made reactivation and reform of the Iraqi primary education system a key priority in its reconstruction planning. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
