Global Arab Network | UNICEF and EU supports education in Syria through training

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UNICEF and EU supports education in Syria through training

Global Arab Network - - Gamal Ragay

Thursday, 11 February 2010 13:48

In collaboration with the Syrian Ministry of Education, UNICEF and the European Union (EU) have completed an ambitious training programme addressing the needs of the janitorial support staff of schools in Rural Damascus. An important component of their wider joint support of the Syrian Ministry of Education in response to the large numbers of Iraqi students, the training programme empowered school support staff in the continued maintenance of physical school environments.

60 janitors received training certificates during an award ceremony in the Jol Jamal Training Center on Saturday, 6 February. The successful candidates were also presented with essential school maintenance toolboxes supplied by UNICEF and the EU.

School head teachers from across Rural Damascus and representatives from the Ministry of Education, UNICEF and the EU attended the ceremony, chaired by Eberhard M. Wissinger, from the German non-governmental organisation HELP, which facilitated the training programme.
“The training of school staff is essential to UNICEF’s aim of ensuring the maintenance of school physical environments in Syria – for the good of both Iraqi and Syrian children. Before this training, something as simple as a broken tap might remain unfixed for months. Now janitors can fix all these simple things themselves and immediately.” [Eric Durpaire – Humanitarian Programme Officer, UNICEF Syria]

"The EU is committed to working together with its partners to improve the education for all children in Syria. These trainings provided hands-on skills to janitors so they can keep schools in good shape and make children feel more comfortable" [Urs Fruehauf – Programme Officer, EU Delegation to Syria]

In addition to practical maintenance support, janitorial staff received first aid training from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), a programme partner.

UNICEF’s education support focuses on supporting the expansion of the Syrian educational infrastructure to ensure access to education for all children, enhancing the quality of education through the application of the ‘Child Friendly School’ initiative, and creating opportunities for the re-integration of dropouts through informal education and life-skills based education.

UNICEF's intervention on behalf of Iraqi refugees and host community is based on a medium- and long-term plan as most of the refugees from Iraq in Syria have no immediate intention of returning home. With an overall contribution of € 62 million since 2007, the European Union is supporting Syria to cope with the influx of refugees in the fields of health, solid waste management and violence against women – in addition to the education sector.

Global Arab Network

Extracted from "Organization release"

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