Amman, Jordan, 22-24 March 2011 In several Middle East and North African countries, high unemployment among youth, especially higher education graduates, is partly caused by the structural inability of the economy to absorb labor supply and the limited employability of graduates. This limited employability is often the result of a secondary and tertiary education that does not reach the standards of quality or match the needs of the labor market.
With this perspective, the UNICEF Executive Director and UNICEF Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Director have undertaken to enhance the quality of secondary education, including through the development of approaches such as the child-friendly school model. To this end, the UNICEF MENA Regional Office invited experts to assist in the following: analyze the weaknesses of secondary education in the Arab countries; draw a profile of quality education at the secondary level; develop a relevant conceptual framework for quality secondary education; assess how the child-friendly school model could be developed; and propose a strategy to be adopted for piloting.
Given its particular focus on curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment, the IBE, as UNESCO’s institute specialized in education content, methods and structures, was invited to share its expertise on secondary education with a focus on inclusive education and competency-based approaches. For more information:
