Towards a new education system for rebuilding the Iraqi society: from vision to practice

1. Towards a new education system for rebuilding the Iraqi society: from vision to practice SYNTHESIS OF DISCUSSIONS DAY 1 UNESCO

2. EDUCATION REFORM • Crucial need, as a basis for rebuilding the Iraqi society • Links between education and economic & societal development • Main aim: to foster the development of persons, as both knowledgeable, creative, open-minded, tolerant and moral individuals, and active members of a democratic and open community/society • Strong political will and determination/commitment of all stakeholders • Extremely difficult context UNESCO

3. EDUCATION REFORM: achievements to date • Leadership • Continuous delivery of education services • Education policy Reform aims Strategies and mechanisms Criteria and priorities Institutional support UNESCO

4. EDUCATION REFORM: achievements to date • Effective partnerships • Effective change Textbooks Teacher training Education infrastructure/School rehabilitation School management Some parts of the curriculum (ICT; Environment education; Human Rights and Citizenship Education) Vocational education UNESCO

5. FUTURE PROSPECTS • Setting priorities: curriculum development (given its importance for knowledge, skills and character building) • All the other components of the education system ought to be tackled in correlation with curriculum development UNESCO

6. FUTURE PROSPECTS • Using the momentum: New Constitution Upcoming elections • Building national consensus • Gaining professional and public support for curriculum change and implementation • Addressing needs and challenges accurately, timely and realistically UNESCO

7. MEANINGFUL AND EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS • Internal dialogue and partnerships: participation and inclusion • Support from international partners/Cluster approach (UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID, World Bank, donor countries: i.e. Japan, etc.): programme/project design; funding; technical assistance for capacity building • UNESCO’s pro-active role • The International conference is a sheer reflection of such existing effective partnerships and inclusive approaches UNESCO

8. CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS • Solide and coherent education policy • Adequate legal framework • Legitimacy and competence • Human and financial ressources • Planning • Team spirit and positive attitude • Effective communication UNESCO

9. EFEFCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS amongts education reform actors • Government • Civil society • Businesses • Media UNESCO

10. OPENESS and BALANCE • To be open to the world, while taking stok of valuable local traditions and experiences • To learn from others, but to come up with creative solutions that ought to fit the Iraqi contex UNESCO

11. Education policy messages • What are the ‘big’ policy questions? Examples: Systemic/comprehensive vision reflected in consensual documents Curriculum arrangements within a federal system Professionaling curriculum work Management of curriculum processes Institutional structures Ressources and planning (short-, medium- and long-term) Design and implementation Sustainability UNESCO

12. CONSENSUS BUILDING • Identifying issues that people agree upon (i.e. cross-cutting themes in the curriculum: ICT; HRE & Citizenship; Environmental education; Gender dimensions; life-long learning; adult education) • Identifying controversial issues and tackling them effectively UNESCO

13. Education policy • Does not mean politizing education • From vision to practice • Monitoring and evaluation • Quality assurance and quality control • Education systems as societal projects UNESCO