The Government of Canada announced $10 million in funding to increased access for vulnerable school-aged girls and boys (3 – 19 years) to quality education in the Lebanese public education system.
Through UNICEF, this project will provide vulnerable children from Syria and Lebanon with learning opportunities within the formal education system in Lebanon. The project will work with the Ministry of Education to strengthen policies and systems to improve education service delivery and facilitate a transition of children from the non-formal to formal education system. Canada’s allocation will contribute to a program that will reach 125,000 children in 500 public schools with strengthened education systems and improved quality of education. 18,750 children will benefit from rehabilitated water and sanitation facilities in schools where these needs are particularly acute.
In addition, learning environments will be improved through minor rehabilitation of school buildings. The project will improve learning environments in 75 public schools in order to meet minimum standards for making the schools safe, healthy, protective and conducive for learning for children. Minor school rehabilitation includes minor fixing and repairs of windows, doors, floors, roofs, walls and electric systems of classrooms, corridors and playground. It will help ensure that the learning environment is conducive to learning and leads to improved student learning outcomes.
The project will also support specific training for more than 7,600 teachers and facilitators on child-centered teaching methodologies and positive discipline. Trained teachers will use the learned skills in their everyday lessons and activities to allow them to better perform in the classrooms and thus have an impact on students’ retention and learning outcomes.
To this end, the following key activities will be undertaken by UNICEF in Lebanon:
- Enhance the government’s capacities to meet the education needs of vulnerable children stemming from increased enrolment numbers.
- Improve the institutional capacity of education providers as well as the evidence-based policies and guidelines that promote inclusive, quality education.
- Improve the learning environment and support additional students through school infrastructure rehabilitation, including sustainable, gender-sensitive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs in schools.
- Train teachers in child-centred teaching, active learning and information and communication technology-based learning.
- Train school administrators on school-based management.
UNICEF is the largest and most established organization focused on children’s education needs in Lebanon. UNICEF has a history of successful education programs and is working closely with other key education actors, such as the Government of Lebanon, the Global Partnership for Education, the World Bank and UNHCR. This project builds on UNICEF’s existing development and humanitarian assistance programs and reflects their integrated approach to addressing the full protection and education needs of vulnerable children.
For more information on Canada’s programming in the Middle East, visit Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development’s website.
