The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) International Workshop, held in partnership with the Iranian National Commission and Allameh Tabataba’i University in Iran, under the theme: “Urgent Call for Teachers’ Critical Assessment Literacy”, kicked off on Monday (June 28, 2021). The event benefited over 100 participants, including teachers, education experts, curriculum developers, educational planning and education quality staffs from several ICESCO Member States.

The Sector of Education and the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences at ICESCO supervise the two-day virtual workshop, which aims to contribute to a better understanding of assessment tools and relevant teaching methods, promote the importance of critical assessment as a key competence and share knowledge, expertise, and best practices among the participants.

During her presentation on the implications of COVID-19 on education systems, Ms. Zineb Iraqi, Supervisor of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences at ICESCO, stressed the need to shift from emergency management, that the current circumstances imposed, to proactive strategic planning, provision of a framework for the implementation and management of structural changes, and the development of technology-based ecosystems for education in the future, while taking into consideration their rapid obsolescence and coping with the need for continuous training and learning.

Ms. Mitra Teymouri, Secretary-General of Iranian National Commission, praised the successful partnership between the Commission and ICESCO as well as the Organization’ constant support to educational programs. She underscored the importance of organizing such workshops which focus on highlighting the importance of assessment in ensuring quality education and enabling teachers to make rational decisions in the classroom.

Mr. Aziz Al-Hajir, Programs Manager at ICESCO Education Sector, highlighted the importance of the Organization’s new vision for teachers’ capacity building and its pivotal role in achieving the intended quality of education, thus contributing to the achievement of SDG4. Mr. Al-Hajir reaffirmed ICESCO’s constant support for the implementation of impactful education policies and the consolidation of the efforts of Member States to achieve quality education by 2030.