Emergencies and fragile contexts

IIEP produces, and constantly updates, training materials on education in emergencies and fragile contexts. These include:

  • The IIEP Guidebook for planning education in emergencies and reconstruction which was published in May 2006. The Guidebook translates knowledge into guidelines for action for planners and managers. Its 38 user-friendly chapters include four subject themes: Access and Inclusion, Teachers and Learners, Curriculum and Learning and Management Capacity.
  • IIEP Summer School Training Materials. IIEP hosted two IIEP Summer Schools in 2003 and 2004. These were held jointly with the World Bank on the theme of Post-conflict educational reconstruction. Participants came from Ministries, UN agencies and NGOs, worldwide. The course materials that were specifically developed for these events have been significantly improved and can be used with multiple audiences.

Training workshops

School children in Sri LankaFrom 28 January to 2 February 2007, IIEP conducted a six-day workshop for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) related to Post Conflict Educational Reconstruction and Development in Africa. The workshop was designed for 24 educators from seven countries in Africa plus Japan. The principal goal of this training course was to share knowledge and experience about access and inclusion in educational reconstruction in post-conflict situations, with and among middle- and senior-level staff of government agencies,

Operational Activities

Afghanistan
Over the past biennium, the technical co-operation between IIEP and the Ministry of Education has become very close. IIEP provided the MoE with technical assistance and implemented a hands-on capacity development programme in different areas related to education sector development plans formulation and implementation.

Girls schoolroom in AfghanistanThe Afghan National Education Strategic Plan (NESP), the first of its kind in the country, was developed in a highly participatory way and launched (in draft form) by the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in January 2007. With support from IIEP, the NESP was translated and published in the two national languages (Dari and Pashto) and in English. A yearly Operational Plan for the year 1386 (2007) was also produced and is being translated into Provincial Development Plans in five pilot provinces. All provinces should in turn follow the same process. IIEP mobilized extra-budgetary funding from UNESCO and financial support from the Government of Norway for the NESP formulation process and for the three-year related capacity development programme.

Pakistan
The South Asian earthquake of 8 October 2005 caused almost 75,000 deaths and made 3 million people homeless. It was responsible for the death of more than 18,000 school children and 900 teachers in nine worst affected districts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Many schools, colleges and buildings of the Education Departments were destroyed or severely damaged. Late in 2005, IIEP assisted UNESCO Islamabad to develop its Earthquake Response Programme, which covers four areas: capacity building of management and administrative systems; teacher training; support to secondary and tertiary education; support to non-formal education.

In February 2006, IIEP completed a training and training needs assessment programme scheduled for all district education officers from the earthquake-affected districts of AJK and NWFP. In March-April 2006, IIEP staff trained district education officers in educational planning. IIEP also supported the Urdu translation and printing of the handbook of the INEE Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, Chronic Crises and Early Reconstruction. In 2008, IIEP published the case study: Building Back Better: post-earthquake responses and educational challenges in Pakistan.