United Kingdom
We’ve had some wonderful news from our Educate a Child Initiative! Tayseer, one of our students in Basra province, came FIRST out of ALL non-governmental organisation – supported students in this year’s primary-level Accelerated Learning Programme exams! All of her hard work and determination clearly paid off, as she finished with an impressive average of 90.12%!
Last week, AMAR celebrated Tayseer’s success – inviting her and two of her teachers to the AMAR Basra Office to be honoured for her amazing achievement. Dr Ali, our Regional Manager in Iraq, personally congratulated Tayseer, and presented her with a gift for her fantastic results. The AMAR Shield of Prominence and Certificate of Appreciation was also awarded to Tayseer’s headmistress and the school’s teaching staff for their brilliant work this year. In receiving her award, Tayseer expressed her determination to continue studying hard – and her hope that the Educate a Child Initiative will long continue in Iraq.
The Educate a Child Initiative was launched by AMAR in Baghdad and Basra provinces in partnership with UNESCO, in an effort to bring out-of-school children back to the classroom and to improve the lives of those with no educational qualifications.
Iraq once had one of the best education systems in the Middle East, but years of turmoil has seen it suffer considerable damage. In 2007, 500,000 children were out of school. For many, this was the result of a lack of awareness of the importance of education to both individuals and communities, and of the importance of educated women in society. In recent years, school enrolment has been growing thanks to efforts by the Iraqi national authorities, but large numbers continue to remain excluded.
In 2012, AMAR began working with the Iraqi Government authorities to help integrate children into society by bringing them back into the national education system. In turn, this will increase their employability and capacity to lead fulfilling lives. AMAR enrolled over 12,000 students on the Accelerated Learning Programme – a full, accelerated course in primary education recognised by the Iraqi Ministry of Education – whilst simultaneously working within local communities to help reduce drop-out rates through emphasising the opportunities education can bring.
We are thrilled with Tayseer’s results, and very much look forward to watching and hearing about all her future successes!
