UNICEF: 'Return to Education' program reduced the dropouts

INA - BAGHDAD

UNICEF confirmed on Tuesday, that the 'Return to Education' program reduced the number of school dropouts.

"The pilot program for the 'Return to Education' began in 2023 at the request of the Minister of Education, as UNICEF went to Maysan Governorate, where 5700 dropout cases were detected. The largest number of them were returned to school seats in formal and non-formal education," said the Education Program Officer at UNICEF Country Office, Omar Wahab, to the Iraqi News Agency - INA. 

He noted, "The organization also went to Nineveh Governorate as well, at the request of the PM Advisor for Education Affairs, where 13000 dropout cases were detected. The largest number of them were returned to formal and non-formal education," stressing "working to return the largest number of students who dropped out to school seats in all other governorates."

"We hope to reach 150000 children who have dropped out of school in the first phase. Some cases are related to the Ministry of Education, but other cases are related to the Ministry of Health, and there are also cases of lack of identification documents that are processed with the Ministry of Interior, so through this program we are trying to involve more than one ministry in this work," he stressed.

Wahab pointed out that "UNICEF works in other areas including environmental sanitation, child protection and other educational programs, as it also has a department for behavioral change that plays a prominent role in the campaign program."