Promoting Civic Values and Life Skills for Adolescents through Education in Iraq

The cumulative effect of conflict, sanctions, security challenges and resulting socioeconomic hardships have severely undermined the education system in Iraq, not least educational providers and receivers. Political tensions, internal conflicts, a brain drain and internal displacement have only served to the detriment of educational institutions and curricula. Moreover, there has been a negative impact on teachers’ skills and the capacity of the education system to provide quality learning as well as ensure the continuous evolution of the education system.

In response, the ILO, ESCWA and UNESCO have partnered to support the Government of Iraq to develop a National Youth Strategy (NYS), which integrates life and employability skills within the curricula of vocational training centers. The project introduces a peer education mechanism to develop life skills and business services for youth in the country.

Objectives

• Strengthen Iraqi youth participation in the social and economic life.

Main Activities

• Develop ministerial staff capacity to devise action plans to promote civic values and life skills within education;
• empower school managers, teachers, education providers and civil society with the capacity to design, implement and deliver civic values as well as education programmes in life skills;
• build the capacity of policy makers to design, implement and promote civic values as well as education programmes in life skills;
• empower youth to conduct extra-curricular activities on civic values and life skills at the intermediate and secondary school levels as well as in community learning centres;
• empower youth to conduct socio-cultural activities on civic values and life skills at youth centres as well as vocational centres; and
• build the institutional capacity of the Government of Iraq to coordinate and monitor, civic education and life skills programmes.

Outcomes

• A National Youth Strategy is developed;
• a life skills programme is integrated with national curricula of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sports.