Main Barriers to Education
- Refugee status
- Poverty
- Lack of learning materials
- School fees
Interventions to Barriers
- School construction
- Capacity building
- Provision of learning materials
- Accelerated-learning programmes
Since the onset of Education for All (EFA) in 2000, the Government of Iran has signalled its support for the attainment of universal primary education in the country. For instance, in 2000, government expenditure on basic and general education was approximately 3.5 per cent of GDP. Yet due to economic constraints over the course of the decade, government spending in the same vein decreased to 2 per cent by 2011. Regardless, enrolment rates at the primary level have managed to reach 98 per cent.
However, Iran hosts a formidable community of refugees – one of the largest in the world – a majority of whom are from neighbouring Afghanistan. In spite of Iran’s, at times, challenging economic outlook, it has promoted access to basic services for refugees, including education. Though refugee students are largely integrated into the education system, many refugee families cannot afford the associated school’s costs owing to the country’s economic environment. At present, refugees still represent the one of the most vulnerable demographics in Iran.
In an attempt to reach marginalised OOSC in the country, EAC and UNHCR have partnered to increase access to quality primary education. Through the Enabling, Encouraging and Excelling project, UNHCR will focus on the country’s refugee communities. Specific project interventions include: constructing new schools; providing accelerated-learning programmes for over-aged refugee children; distributing school uniforms, hygiene kits, ICT equipment and stationary materials; and capacity building for NGOs and MOE officials who work with refugee communities.
Geographic Location: Southeast Asia
Languages: Persian (official), Arabic, Azeri Turkic, Balochi, Gilaki, Kurdish, Luri, Mazandarani and Turkic
source: UNHCR
Projects
Educate A Child Partnership
Educate A Child (EAC) has partnered with UNHCR to bring quality primary education to refugee children in 12 priority countries.
Enabling, Encouraging & Excelling
As the global refugee protection agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is responsible for ensuring that refugee children have access to quality education in their countries of asylum. There are over 2.7 million refugee children out of school in 12 targeted project countries.
Improving Access to Primary Education for Out of School Children in Iran
First partnering in 2013, EAC and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) have been creating education opportunities for some of the most marginalised out of school children in the world. The current EAC-NRC Improving Access to Primary Education for OOSC in Iran project is seeking to reach vulnerable Iranian and Afghan refugee children struggling to realise their right to quality primary education.Partners
Korea International Cooperation Agency (co-Financing Partner)
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) was established as a government-funded agency dedicated to providing grant-aid programmes on the part of the Korean Government in 1991.
