Project Phoenix promises to develop mobile classrooms in Libya as part of an initiative to provide educational resources to children throughout the country. Launched by American IT professional Tommy Jordan and Northumbria University professor Dr. Gill Gillespie, this program seeks to have an immediate impact on Libya’s children by providing students with a place to learn and the technological resources with which to do it.
Initially, Jordan and Gillespie planned to work with the Libyan government to rebuild schools. When this plan fell through, they developed the idea of using empty shipping containers as portable schools that could hold up to 12 students. These self-powered facilities will be outfitted with desks, lighting, electricity, air conditioning, and technology in the form of tablets.
According to Dr. Gillespie “what could be a better way of getting education without having to start from the bottom and rebuilding schools which would involve going through the government and would take a long time.” Project Phoenix will be implemented within a matter of months and will seek to avoid the complexities of bureaucracy.
In February 2013, a nationwide school assessment determined that the revolution damaged approximately 40 percent of the nation’s schools. Investigators also found that many schools experience overcrowding, a lack of basic facilities (bathrooms, running water, waste disposal, etc) and inadequate teaching materials.
In response to these findings, UNICEF and the Libyan government signed an agreement to work together to improve the country’s basic education system. This will involve the implementation of various policies to support the sustainable development of an effective educational system throughout Libya.
Tommy Jordan proclaims that “our plan was without politics,” but this statement raises several important questions about how best to provide developmental aid in a situation such as this. How can Project Phoenix succeed in improving basic education throughout Libya without integrating this work into other ongoing projects by collaborating with the Libyan government, local organizations and communities? Can Project Phoenix’s quick-fix approach support ongoing efforts to reform Libya’s educational system or will it hinder them? And what are the potential consequences of ignoring the realities of Libyan politics?
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Written by Amanda Lubit