COUNTRIES: Lebanon
DURATION: 09/30/2014 - 12/31/2019
FUNDER: USAID
PARTNER: Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, AMIDEAST, Management Services International, Ana Aqra’
CONTACT[email protected]

Program Description

The Quality Instruction towards Access and Basic Education Improvement (QITABI) project aims to expand equitable access and improve learning outcomes for vulnerable students in Lebanese public schools.

Funded by USAID, the project includes an immediate focus on alleviating the strains to the system resulting from the continuing inflow of Syrian refugee children into Lebanese public schools. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon (MEHE), QITABI is working to improve facilities, services, and teaching as well as effectively engage communities and school councils to improve learning and increase the chances of youth remaining in the education system. The QITABI Consortium is led by World Learning, and includes Ana Aqra’, AMIDEAST, and Management Systems International (MSI). These partners provide technical assistance and capacity building within the context of three project components.

Program Goals

  • Expand equitable access and improve learning outcomes for vulnerable students in Lebanon’s public schools.
  • Alleviate the pressure of the influx of Syrian refugee students on the public school system.
  • Increase the number of students who remain in the formal education system.

QITABI 2 Program Goals 

The project provides technical assistance and capacity building within the context of three project components:

Component 1: Improving reading outcomes for primary level public school students

QITABI Component 1 focuses on improving early grade students’ Arabic language reading skills in 260 primary public schools, Grades 1 to 4. The project has instituted an early grade reading assessment to track and monitor students’ reading skills and progress, established an early warning system to identify and support struggling readers, and developed teacher training modules and classroom materials to enhance learning. QITABI has already provided training and coaching to more than 1,000 primary school teachers and continues to offer day-to-day support through project facilitators and hosts parental and community awareness reading activities. It also trains government teacher mentors and master trainers from the Center for Education and Research and Development (CERD) to support oversight of the program and continued professional development for educators. In addition, QITABI provides key educational resources including flip charts, audio systems, bookshelves, and classroom libraries to enhance reading instruction and learning for more than 42,800 students and ICT equipment and digital content to improve classroom learning environments for more than 58,600 students across Lebanon.

Component 2: Expanding access to safe and relevant education for vulnerable public school students

QITABI’s Component 2 aims to increase enrollment and retention of students in the formal education system by addressing barriers to attendance and bettering the school experience. To achieve this goal, the project works with 300 public schools across the country, with a focus on those in marginalized communities, to equip them with ICT resource rooms and improve the overall school environment. More than 73,700 students have already benefited from these changes. QITABI also works with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to build child-friendly schools by developing social and psychosocial support activities and designing and implementing a strategy to bring ICT resources into primary schools. In addition, the project procured and delivered 100 school buses to provide transportation to school for students who live in rural areas. QITABI also uses buses to reach students not currently in school to conduct basic literacy and numeracy classes and perform outreach to promote enrollment in formal education. These buses will help up to 5,000 vulnerable out-of-school children and youth gain access to a high-quality education.

Component 3: Strengthening management (resilience in the education system to better direct and monitor education)

The effectiveness of Components 1 and 2 relies on the presence of strong institutional systems within MEHE to ensure sustainability. Activities under Component 3 strengthen MEHE’s ability to monitor education services, design, and oversee reform efforts effectively. This includes stakeholder analysis and policy mapping, compiling and analyzing data collected at the school-level, and familiarizing MEHE units and departments with evidence-based decision-making. These activities help develop and strengthen policies and guidelines that will create a more resilient Lebanese education system.

Achievements

  • 260 public primary schools are improving early grade reading outcomes through teacher training and coaching, strengthened support systems for struggling readers, new early grade reading materials, and increased parental involvement.
  • 34,222 public primary school students in grades 1-4 are benefiting from teacher training, improved school learning environments, new classroom materials, and increased community-based opportunities to practice reading.
  • 1,007 teachers have received training and coaching on reading education and student assessments, new classroom resources and materials, and a teacher support network.
  • 260 schools have received ICT equipment to improve reading outcomes and 300 schools have received ICT resource rooms to enhance the overall school learning environment.

The project is implemented by World Learning in partnership with Management Systems InternationalAna Aqra’ and AMIDEAST.

Keep up with the latest information on QITABI by following the program on YouTube,  Facebook and Twitter. 

QITABI 2 is a continuation of the successful five-year QITABI program. Starting  in 2020, QITABI 2 began rolling out its QITABI Arabic literacy program to all primary public schools in Lebanon.