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09 November 2018

In the context of implementing the SDG4 Dubai Road Map (2017) for the Arab States, UNESCO Beirut organized on 4-6 November 2018 a technical workshop in Dead Sea, Jordan, where participants exchanged experiences and reflections on aligning curriculum, teachers, and learning assessment, as a fundamental requirement for enhancing education quality in the Arab region in line with Education 2030 Agenda. Subsequent to the technical workshop, a meeting of SDG4 national coordinators was equally conducted (6-7 November 2018).
The AR-MED III meeting brought together more than 90 participants, including country representatives responsible for aligning curriculum, teachers and learning assessment, SDG4 national coordinators in the Arab countries, SDG4 Arab Regional Support Group, resource persons, and members of UNESCO secretariat (UNESCO offices in Beirut, Ramallah, Amman, Cairo, Baghdad and Dakar, and UNESCO HQ).

The technical workshop aimed at advocating the issue of aligning curriculum, teachers and assessment as a means of enhancing quality education in the Arab States in line with Education 2030 Agenda, including the development of basic skills, skills development for life and work in the 21st Century, GCED, and sustainable development.

During the workshop, participants shared Arab country reports on the alignment issue, focusing on achievement, challenges/gaps, and lessons learned; they also drafted Action plans for follow up at different levels focusing on priority issues/solutions with regard to aligning curriculum, teachers and learning assessment, and identified the support needed from the Arab Regional Support Group and other partners.

At the end of the workshop, participants issued a Joint Statement with regard to Arab countries commitment to enhancing alignment of curriculum, teachers and learning assessment as an important lever in reaching SDG4 targets and thus contributing to enhancing overall educational quality in the light of Education 2030 Agenda.

As the Lebanese country representatives mentioned, alignment is a means of integrating SDG4 goals in the curriculum by making sure that the education/learning vision 2030 is shared by those working in curriculum, teachers and learning assessment. At the same time, as Tunisian representatives stated, in addition to its pedagogical advantages, alignment can be seen also as an economic tool of enhancing education cost-effectiveness.

Towards the end of AR-MEd III, participants in the SDG4 national coordinators’ meeting worked on reviewing the Dubai Road Map (2017) in line with the developments in the Region since AR-MED II (March 207) and the upcoming global events on SDG4/Agenda 2030 in 2018 and 2019. UNESCO Beirut will make available comprehensive outcomes of AR-MED III meeting on its website