Education in the Middle East and Asia: Issues, Challenges and ROTA’s InterventionsEpifania A. Amoo-AdareResearch Specialist, ROTA

Presentation Overview

Research Design & Development Purpose/ Goal Background (organizational context) Key Questions Methods & Sample Limitations Findings

Education Issues/Challenges (Middle East, Asia) ROTA’s Interventions (Historic, Current and Future)

Next Steps

Research Design & Development – Purpose/ Goal

To determine the key education challenges in the two regions where ROTA conducts business

To outline and examine ROTA’s programming responses in light of the challenges identified

To serve as a tangible reflection of how ROTA contributes to addressing educational challenges

To form a platform for the development of a comprehensive research strategy

Research Design & Development - BackgroundOrganizational Context – QNV & QF

Qatar’s National Vision (QNV) 2030 – Advanced Society (knowledge- versus carbon-based)

human development social development environmental development economic development

Qatar Foundation (QF) - Innovative Education and Research

Education Science and Research Community Development Corporate Joint Ventures

Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) - Towards Education for All; Today, Tomorrow and Forever...

“…I love my teacher. She is a role model for us. She has taught us things which I hadn’t heard in my entire life.  In addition to reading and writing, we are learning the art of calligraphy. This is so exciting. We are also learning Maths.”

literacy student,

Afghanistan

“It really opens our eyes to what the real world is like. There is so much more than ourselves and our majors and our dreams. It really taught me that I am one person in the world who just got lucky being born in this country to live such a life.”

volunteer (Indonesia trip), university student, Qatar

Research Design & Development - BackgroundOrganizational Context - ROTA

Donor and Implementer (since 2005) 5 objectives (access, quality, youth, advocacy, and institution

building) 5 programming areas (international education development, youth

development, literacy education, volunteerism, and ICT in education) 27 international projects, 10 local initiatives 12 countries in 2 regions 41 staff with 18 nationalities 22 partners (14 implementing, 7 funding) approx. $36.8mn commitment to date Direct Beneficiaries (63,770 students, 2,235 teachers, 400

youth, 135 migrant workers, 950 volunteers, 103 schools) Establishment of a Technical Support Unit (in 2010)

Research Design & Development - Background

12 countries in 2 regionsMiddle East

Iraq Lebanon Occupied Palestinian

Territories Qatar Syria Yemen (pending)

Asia Afghanistan Bangladesh Cambodia Indonesia Nepal Pakistan

Research Design & Development – Key Questions

What are the key education challenges within the Middle East and Asia, particularly as relate to children and youth in the countries within which ROTA works?

What has been ROTA’s response to these education challenges in the past, and what are its future plans (i.e., as outlined in the strategic plan)?

Research Design & Development – Methods & Sample

Methods Desk Review (project documents, literature review, web-based sources)

Informal Discussions Participant Observation (meetings, events, technical support, etc.)

Interviews (one-to-one)

Sample ROTA staff (criterion-based sample of 23 individuals)

Research Design & Development – Limitations

Vast Scope of WorkChanging Landscape1 year duration (June 2010-July 2011)1 researcherLiterature (English only)Project documents (proposals and partner reports only)

Human Subjects (interview transcripts)

Research Design & Development – Preliminary Findings  Education Challenges

Middle East AsiaYouth Concerns

3.6bn under age 30

Bulge (60% under age 30)

access to education unemployment

access to education unemployment

Quality of Education

72 mn OSCY for primary71mn OSCY for secondary

54% OSCY are female

teacher quality, salary & attendance

passive/ rote learning

curriculum relevance

high drop-out and incompletion rates

difficulty unifying systems

teacher quality, salary & attendance

passive/rote learning

curriculum relevance

high drop-out and incompletion rates

low education financing

Research Design & Development – Preliminary Findings

Education ChallengesMiddle East Asia

Conflict/ Emergency/ Crisis

50% of OSCY in CAFS

lack of infrastructure

governance issues corruption IDP, Returnee &

Refugees education under

attack

lack of infrastructure

governance issues corruption IDP, Returnee &

Refugees education under

attackOut-of-School Children & Youth (OSCY) 27mn OSCY affected by conflict

(90% IDPs)

5.7mn in Arab States opportunity costs cultural attitudes

(including desired job type preferences)

18.4mn in South &West Asia;

9.5mn in East Asia & Pacific

opportunity costs cultural attitudes

Research & Development

inadequate or missing data

limited communications infrastructure

inadequate or missing data

limited communications infrastructure

Research Design & Development – Preliminary Findings

ROTA InterventionsYouth Concerns youth development (local &

global) school construction Disaster Risk Reduction

trainingQuality of Education school rehabilitation

teacher training (local & global)

sports development training environmental education international volunteer trips

Conflict/ Emergency/ Crisis

relief work emergency education psychosocial support Disaster Risk Reduction

training literacy education (local)

Out-of-School Children & Youth (OSCY)

school construction Non-Formal Education (primary) vocational training

Research & Development foundational research research strategy (pending)

Research Design & Development – Preliminary Findings

ROTA Interventions (Contd.)Pakistan

Challenges 7mn OSCY (primary); 25mn (secondary) 50% school children (age 6-16) cannot

read a sentence under 1.5% of GDP going to public

schools need additional 100mn rupees ($1.2mn)

pa to meet basic education goals 15-20% of public sector teachers

absent, on a given day (relatively well paid)

30% live in extreme poverty 13-20% of average rural family’s

income towards educationInterventions

BaghMardenSWAT

$5,660,948 commitment

school construction (21 schools) school rehabilitation (80 schools) emergency education (IDP children) psychosocial support (IDP children) sports development training teacher training

Research Design & Development – Next Steps

Complete research study Complete staff interviews and FGDs Extend to partner and Doha-based expert interviews Analysis and write up

Explore areas relevant to geographical context and ROTA’s road map

Character and needs of OSCY Education at secondary age-level Emergency education (e.g., for IDPs, refugees) Youth development for global citizenship Sports and education

Develop research strategy Goals and Objectives Themes, Topics & Type Partnerships (funding, research, etc.) Capacity Building Dissemination (academic, policy-making, advocacy)

THANK YOU!Epifania Amoo-Adareeamooadare@qf.org.qa+974 4454 1645http://www.reachouttoasia.org/