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By Nihal Zaroug.
Tripoli, April 5 2013:
As part of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Ministry of Education’s (MoE) mission to . . .[restrict]improve Libya’s educational system, a programme to manage and better develop teachers is planned as a two-year initiative.
The programme, estimated to cost €3.1 million will be financed by the European Union and undertaken by UNICEF’s Teachers Development Centre, with the MoE taking the lead.
In February, both MoE and UNICEF conducted an extensive study of 4,800 schools across the country, revealing an urgent need for investment. According to the report’s findings, 40 percent of all schools had been damaged as result of 17 February Revolution.
Schools were also found to be lacking basic hygiene facilities, safety measures, and drinking water. Despite having a good child-to-teacher ratio of 5 to 1, it was discovered that children with special needs or those who required psychological support, were not catered for.
At the time of the report’s release, Carel de Rooy, Libya’s UNICEF Country Director, said the “Libyan Government is now equipped to make better informed decisions on effective and efficient investments to normalise and then upgrade the quality of education.”
Consequently, the assessment to develop the capabilities of Libya’s teachers, to benefit all children, especially those with special needs or who suffered during the war, will in return “be the driving force to increase the quality of education” said de Rooy about the teacher initiative.
de Rooy’s recent press statement adds “rethinking the teaching system in order to enhance teachers’ competencies, status and motivation leading ultimately to better learning in Libya’s classrooms” is a key step in reinvigorating education in Libya. [/restrict]
