Roj School blossoms thanks to School Based Management approach

Duhok, Iraq, 28 February 2023.- For Salah Mahmoud Omar, Principal in Roj School in Al Amedi District, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, implementing the school-based management programme, supported by UNICEF, changed his life.

“After taking part in the school-based management programme, the whole school learning environment changed,” said Mr. Omar.  “Now, I can make decisions that have an impact on our school, which is not only faster, but also more productive.”

More than 220 students in Grade 1-9 attend Roj School, almost half are girls.  The school uses the Kurdish curriculum, and most of its students come from vulnerable backgrounds, including Syrian refugees.

UNICEF, funded through the PROSPECTS partnerships set up by the Netherlands, supported the implementation of a school-based management programme in various schools in Iraq – 886 schools so far.  The aim of this programme is to improve learning, promote creativity, and give the entire school a voice in decision making while holding the school accountable. 

In June 2022, Mr. Omar and four of his colleagues participated in a 3-day training programme on school-based management jointly with other 23 participants from other schools. They acquired skills on how to manage the school, manage the financial resources, and improve relations to serve a larger number of students.  At the end of the training, they developed a school improvement plan, in accordance with the child-friendly school initiative.

Small actions with huge impact

Following the training, UNICEF provided the school principal with seed money - $1,000 - to implement the school improvement plan.

“I was so happy to receive the funds,” said the School Principal. “I improved the learning environment for our students, and I did it with only $1,000.”

With the little funds received, he installed surveillance cameras; mounted a liquid soap system for improved hygiene; supplied the school with educational aids for science and math classes as well as languages; painted the walls of some classrooms; and rehabilitated the roof of one of the classes.

“I no longer need to bring bottled water to school,“ said Sidad, 17, a Grade 9 student at Al Roj school.  “Now, we have clean and safe drinking water available in our school!”

“Out of our belief in the importance of education, my teachers carried out outreach activities visiting homes of students who fell behind, to support them with their homework,” said the School Principal with pride.  “This advanced our reputation, and now many parents are demanding to enroll their children, but we unfortunately don’t have enough space.”

According to Omar, the school-based management programme was the best thing that happened to the school.  Its learning environment has drastically improved, placing the school among top ranks in the region.

The impact of the school-based management did not stop there, as the school enhanced its engagement with the community and gained further support. For instance, during this school year, the community supported the school with a printer and paper; painted the external walls of the school; supplied some furniture and helped in building an additional classroom for students.

“Now, my dream is coming true,” added Omar.  “All I want is to ensure that every student has access to a quality learning environment to enable them to reach their full potential.”