Tripoli, November 6, 2019 – The Ministry of Education of Libya joined efforts with UNICEF for the launch of this year’s back to school campaign. The campaign titled ‘Our Education, Our Future – children make the change’ pays tribute to all the inspiring education personnel who overcame numerous challenges to prioritize education, and most importantly for the school age children who chose to prioritize their learning above all else.
Through the Back to School initiative, more than 40,000 students across Libya will be reached with essential learning materials, school in a box and recreational kits.
Under the umbrella of the two-years work plan between the Ministry of Education in Libya and UNICEF, around 1,000 children received educational support and extracurricular activities through the summer school programmes.
This year special efforts have been made to provide uninterrupted learning for children affected by the ongoing conflict, in addition to reaching children who have missed out on education with access to quality education, including remedial and catch-up classes, psychosocial support, teaching and learning materials.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF are working closely to meet the longer-term educational requirements of children in Libya, by training teachers and education personnel, on a range of topics, including interactive learning, education in emergencies and inclusive education.
The Ministry of Education and UNICEF are working on building an education management information system (EMIS), that will provide needed data for policy development as part of the priorities for the Ministry.
UNICEF also supported the rehabilitation and installation of prefabricated classrooms of 19 schools in different parts of Libya and in the process of rehabilitating other schools that suffered collateral damage during this recent crisis.
This comes as 85% per cent of schools remain closed or non-operational since the start of the academic year on 13 October due to the ongoing teacher’s strike. The crisis is affecting an estimated 800,000 students across the country.
“As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child this month, which Libya has ratified, let us commit to prioritise education, irrespective of the situation in the country” said UNICEF Libya Special Representative Abdel-Rahman Ghandour.
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About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child; in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information, contact Alla Almsri, Communication Officer, UNICEF Libya +218 91 00 12 129, Aalmsri@unicef.org
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org
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