Infinite possibility, Immediate need – Education in Iraq

The story so far:

• The Kurdish Human Capacity development program (HCDP) is one of the ways Kurdistan is looking to address this extraction of human resources. An annual KRG budget of one hundred and twenty billion dinars (US$100 million) is allocated to the scheme that will allow thousands of young men and women to study in some of the world’s top universities.
• A 10 year educational strategy around providing measurable, quality education that is scalable is to be presented April 2013 by the Ministry of Education. It will look specifically at building readiness for tertiary education and industry needs through primary and early secondary levels.

Dramatis Personae, Autumn 2012:

• October: USAID is currently conducting a nationwide education survey and assessment in partnership with the Iraqi Ministry of Education.
• November: Dell, provides hardware to the Ministry of Education in Iraq, with 50,000 laptops for 200,000 students.
• October: Whizz Education, providers of online learning environment and curriculum-matched content visit Iraq in order to explore how to support long term educational strategy through Maths-Whizz, a blended learning service that supports students, teachers and parents in schools, homes and communities.
• Oil and Gas companies such as Afren, Genel and Marathon continue to invest in education, schools and community centres in through their CSR programmes, exploring where they can impact most strategically.

My visit to Kurdistan, linked to a subsequent visit to the World Bank in Washington made one thing very clear. Despite the many challenges of an emerging economy, the energy and capacity for growth that exists in the region makes anything possible. It is this belief in infinite possibility, linked to immediate need that makes Iraq a bridge, leading to shared experiences that can impact the shape of education on a world-wide stage.

And that’s the point. Welcome to my Educational Blog.

Madeleine White is Head of Marketing for Whizz Education. A former teacher and mother of 3 she is passionate about education, communication and CSR and has written extensively around her experiences.

Since starting in 2004, Whizz Education’s mission has been to raise standards in Maths. Maths-Whizz is supported by Whizz Education offices in London, Seattle and Dubai. Additional support is provided through authorised international partners. Building upon the UK’s reputation as a worldwide gateway to the best in education, Whizz has been honoured by numerous awards. Maths-Whizz is used by thousands of 5-13 year olds in over 10 countries, with major growth coming from the USA, the Middle East and Russia. A Spanish language version for Mexico is scheduled to launch in 2013.