World Bank funds new education project in Iraq
World Bank headquarters. Reuters image.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The World Bank approved on Monday the financing of a new project related to education in Iraq, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
According to INA, a statement issued by the World Bank revealed that the new project worth 10 million USD aims to support innovations for learning in three Iraqi governorates.
The project aims to enhance teaching practices of Arabic and Mathematics teachers, and improve literacy and numeracy skills among the most vulnerable primary students in lagging Iraqi governorates.
Human capital development is the core of achieving sustainable economic growth. In Iraq, Human capital only represents 15 percent of the total national wealth, and this is one of the lowest rates in the Middle East and North Africa region, largely due to the poor outcomes of education.
Conflicts and structural deficiencies over the years led to an educational system unable to provide basic skills to students.
The new project dedicated to students of poorest categories aims to prevent more education losses, and to guarantee that education is available for all Iraqi students.
“It requires investments in basic skills of the neediest students to enhance learning and productivity of this generation and the coming generations in Iraq, and then, gaining social and economic benefits as a result,” World Bank’s Regional Director of the Mashreq Department (Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Iran), Saroj Kumar Jha, said in a statement cited by INA.
“The new project helps Iraq to improve reading and mathematics learning outcomes for more than 300 thousand students, and improves teaching practices for more than four thousand math and Arabic teachers in the three poorest governorates in Iraq,” Jha added.
“The new project will be implemented by the Iraqi Ministry of Education in close cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Finance over two years,” Jha explained.