Integrating mobile learning solutions for Syrian refugees in Iraq

Mobiles  for  Educa0on  Alliance  Interna0onal  Symposium  15-­‐16  October  2013    Project  Proposal  by  UNESCO  Headquarters,  EducaAon  Sector  ICT  in  EducaAon  Team,  with  support  of  UNESCO  Iraq  

Education emergency for Syrian refugees in Iraq •  Almost 200,000 Syrians have fled to Iraq •  According to recent forecasts the number of Syrian refugees in Iraq may increase

to 500,000 by the end of 2014 •  96% of them located in Kurdistan •  Roughly 68% of school aged refugees in camps are not participating in formal

education, 90% for those outside of camps •  Complete lack of teachers, administrators and policy makers having specific skills

and competences on education in emergency •  Insufficient infrastructure to accommodate the increased number of school

based refugees •  The low level of enrollment in formal education, if not addressed immediately, will

increase the illiterate rate in the medium term exponentially

http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=103

UNESCO response •  Short-term strategy: provide access to formal ed: secondary schooling and

non-formal education focusing on adult literacy and life skills •  Long-term strategy: sustainable quality education run by government •  Secondary education:

•  Build three schools (prefab structure) in Domiz, Dara Shakran and Kawergosk camps accessing 3,500 students (on 2 shifts).

•  100 teachers and social workers to be hired (at least 50 per cent of teachers and social workers are women) and trained to promote psychosocial wellbeing of refugees

•  The training materials to be developed •  Stationary, teaching aids and recreation kits provided to each

temporary school to benefit all the students involved •  Literacy and life skills

•  Targeted at 1,700 women and men, e.g. Sickness prevention, Refugees rights, Livelihood training

•  Establishment of community learning centers CLCs

Photo: UNESCO

Photo: UNESCO

Photo: UNESCO

Photo: UNESCO

Photo: UNESCO

Photo: UNESCO

Mobile learning vision •  Mobile opportunity in PCPD settings: people have devices and know how to

use them, mobile networks are available •  Immediate and cost-effective information dissemination, communication and

data collection •  Mobile learning solution will supplement and extend the educational services

it will offer in brick-and-mortar buildings •  Deliver content and assess

•  Focus on developing and reinforcing literacy and numeracy skills, but will also include a peace-building and human rights approach

•  SMS, audio lessons, mobile data (if available)

•  Strengthen communication for P2P networking support •  Between learners •  Between learners and teachers (learning as well as psychosocial support groups and

socialization support) •  Between teachers

•  Support administration and education planning •  Survey teachers. •  Data collection •  Share data with NGOs, relief organisations, etc.

Copyright: Muath Freij / Muhammad Hamed / Reuters

Why UNESCO? Why this project? •  UNESCO is the UN agency for education.

•  UNESCO has a significant presence in the field and partner connections

•  UNESCO has a strong relationship and collaboration with the three Ministries working in Education and with the Civil Society at large, with high capacity to pursue both upstream and downstream projects

•  The last allows linking Syrian Crisis response interventions to those already implemented in Iraq, favoring the integration of the Syrian Community in the Iraqi education system, taking advantage of existing funds or designing projects which compensate existing gaps

•  Build upon existing programme for quality education (not parachuted in)

•  Perfect timing: breaking ground on the schools, teachers need to be hired and trained, content to be developed …

•  Pilot with short-term strategy, plug into long-term strategy

•  If successful can be scaled to millions of other Syrian refugees in the area, and replicated in other PCPD contexts

Join us for impact •  Funding •  Content development •  Mobile network operators •  Mobile device manufacturers

Copyright: Brian Sokol