Dubai Cares vows Dhs1.1b for crisis-hit kids

DUBAI: Dubai Cares has announced its support of a two-year research and design phase of a project that aims to provide continuous quality education for children whose education has been disrupted by rapid onset or protracted crises.

Dubai Cares is contributing Dhs1,102,050 (US$300,000) to the project.

The research explores the development of a global quality learning curriculum framework that is referred to as a ‘Learning Passport’. This framework covers maths, science, literacy as well as social and emotional learning skills, and includes associated teaching and learning materials and a certification model that tracks progress and assesses learning outcomes.

The Learning Passport aims to be internationally recognised to facilitate a portable learning framework for children on the move.

Spearheaded by UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the project involves key partners that form a founding group of donors who will be providing financial or in-kind support. The University of cambridge is providing in-kind research resources and Microsoft has commited to providing a personalised digital learning platform to support the operational is at ion and use of the learning passport.

The Dubai Cares grant is part of an Dhs18.35 million (US$5 million) commitment made last year during the United Nations General Assembly in New York towards UNICEF’S ‘Generation Unlimited’, a new global partnership to work with and for young people.

Dubai Cares’ contribution will specifically support three key research goals: completing the foundational research to develop a blueprint for the learning framework that is tailored for the needs of refugees, migrants and internally displaced children and youth; designing a pilot trial as per the recommendations of the foundational research; and establishing a global reference group consisting of donors, educational practitioners, and academics.

Commenting on the project, Annina Matsson, Programmes director at dubai cares, said ,“emergencies are affecting more and more people around the world, due to wars, natural disasters as well as political and social unrest. Displaced populations, whether internally or out of their country, have to deal with complete disruption in their life. Children are always the most impacted, with their education being interrupted and delayed at best, or even ceased at worst.”

The aim of this project, she said, is to develop a framework through which children affected by crises can have uninterrupted access to quality education.