Iraq: Improving Quality of Education and Access to Enable All Students to Learn

Synopsis

​​​With funding from the World Bank under the Iraq Emergency Operation for Development project (EODP), the Ministry of Education has rebuilt 26 schools between 2020 and 2023 , providing over 10,000 children with new learning spaces. In addition, more than 5,000 teachers and counselors have been trained in foundational literacy and numeracy skills and psycho-social support using an innovative cascade training model. As of 2023, this novel teacher training program has been implemented in eight governorates and is being evaluated for national scale-up. Finally, the project is also helping the Ministry of Education to set up digital infrastructure and streamline education data collection, which will improve monitoring and evaluation of the education system. Overall, an estimated 135,000 students and over 5,000 educators benefited from project activities.​​

Beneficiary Quote

​"The reconstruction of the school is aiding students to continue their education and supporting the returnees. I extend my sincere gratitude to all those responsible for rebuilding the school."

​Anonymous local community member who benefited from a reconstructed Al Saeed school in Baghdad

Challenge

​​Years of conflict and interrupted service delivery have left Iraq facing many challenges to delivering quality education services to promoting learning and skills formation. These structural inefficiencies have led to a learning and human capital crisis in Iraq. The World Bank Human Capital index estimates that a child born in Iraq today will attain approximately 41 percent of their potential productivity upon reaching adulthood.

​A significant shortage of educational infrastructure poses a key challenge for Iraq's education sector and to improve learning. Due to the destruction caused by years of war and conflict, many schools have had to accommodate students from neighboring schools. As a result, many students attend school in double or triple shifts, which leads to very limited learning time-sometimes only four hours a day-which can in turn impact student performance. According to the Iraq Ministry of Education, an additional 10,000 school buildings are needed to address the infrastructure shortage and ensure all children have a place to learn.

​A better-equipped teaching workforce is also needed to strengthen the education system and promote better learning among students. Professional development opportunities are still largely unequal in Iraq. Many teachers receive little in-service and pre-service training, which can vary widely in quality and coverage.

​A more comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is also needed to better inform education sector planning. Years of conflict have weakened institutional functionality, effectiveness, and governance across Iraq, leading to insufficient and fragmented M&E systems.

Approach

​​The EODP education project activities represent a crucial starting point to support the restoration of education services in conflict-affected and recently liberated areas of Iraq, while laying the foundation for further development in the education sector. The project undertook three key activities. First, the project worked to expand educational infrastructure and provide more learning-conducive spaces for students. The project supported construction and equipping of 26 new schools on state-owned land in eight of Iraq's 18 governorates.

​The project also supported the Ministry of Education to develop and implement an innovative cascade model for teacher training. This model worked by first training 95 master trainers, who subsequently provided training to over 5,000 educators (including teachers and counselors) in fundamental Arabic/literacy and numeracy skills and psycho-social support.

​Finally, the project supported the Ministry of Education with the development of their digital infrastructure and the educational information system to strengthen educational planning and M&E at the central level.

​Results

Through this project, Iraq's Ministry of Education reached more than 135,000 students, 5,000 educators, and 50 Iraqi staff from the Ministry of Education who benefited from the project's activities.

The project supported the construction of 26 schools in the poorest areas of Iraq. The newly constructed schools offer a learning space for students who previously had to often travel long distances to attend school. These new schools will help alleviate these challenges and have created additional learning spaces for more than 10,000 students.

The project enabled training of 5,000 teachers and education counselors across Iraq in foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills. The model was initially implemented in eight governorates and subsequently intended to be expanded nationwide.

The project has also helped establish a more robust digital infrastructure within the Ministry of Education for better M&E in the education sector. This includes upgrades to the digital infrastructure, as well as support to a Mobile Data Collection platform to build capacity for a larger Education Management System deployment.

Bank Group Contribution

​​The World Bank contributed $35 million for the education project component as part of the $750 million loan dedicated to the Iraq Emergency Operation for Development Project (EODP).

Partners

​​The World Bank provided technical support to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance, in addition to coordinating and complementing work from other partners, including UNICEF and UNESCO.

Looking Ahead

The EODP education component provided urgently needed crisis support. However, Iraq requires much larger investments and broader support to improve learning for all children. Recently, Iraq endorsed a new Education Sector Strategy 2022 - 2031, which has ambitious goals for increased access and better-quality learning for all children. The World Bank is supporting the government of Iraq in the implementation of this national education sector strategy to improve learning outcomes over the coming years.

A group of female students holds hands to form a circle during their break, in the courtyard of Abu Hayyan School in Baghdad, Iraq. (Photo credit: Anmar Qusay - World Bank) Aerial View of Abu Hayyan School, Baghdad, Iraq. (Phto credit: Anmar Qusay - World Bank)

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