The BBC World Service has launched the Arabic version of its award-winning instructional programme, ‘Dars,’ (lesson) within the Middle East and North Africa.
Designed to assist youngsters who can’t entry formal training, Dars Arabic goals to supply studying assets for the area’s youth, notably these displaced by battle in Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza.
The thought for Dars originated from an intent to assist youngsters in Afghanistan, particularly women who have been banned from attending faculty. Building on that mission, the programme has expanded to succeed in youngsters throughout the Middle East and North Africa who face boundaries to training attributable to battle, displacement, or restricted assets.
Dars Arabic incorporates content material from BBC Education in topics reminiscent of Maths, Science, and Geography, together with English classes from BBC Learning English.
The programme additionally options inspirational tales, optimistic information segments, and psychological well being classes created in session with battle psychologists. These classes handle dealing with bereavement, displacement, stress administration, and resilience.
It is broadcast weekly on BBC News Arabic TV, digital platforms reminiscent of youtube and instagram, and radio providers in Gaza and Syria. It can also be obtainable internationally through the BBC World Service’s 41 language providers and YouTube.
During the occasion, Georgina Pearce, Senior Producer of Dars, instructed Egyptian Streets concerning the programme’s efforts to bridge the digital divide. Acknowledging that many youngsters in battle zones might not have constant web entry, Pearce highlighted the significance of multi-platform availability.
“We know access is a challenge, so our goal is to be everywhere we can—on television, YouTube, Instagram, and soon, BBC Arabic’s WhatsApp channel,” she defined. “We also broadcast via lifeline radio services in Gaza and Syria, and we’re exploring partnerships with charities and organizations to screen the programme in refugee camps.”
Mental well being training is a key part of Dars Arabic.
Pearce emphasised that the programme was developed in collaboration with consultants in conflict-zone psychology to make sure it successfully addresses youngsters’s emotional well-being. “We worked with psychologists who specialize in conflict zones to create these lessons,” she defined.
The first 5 episodes every start with a psychological well being lesson.
“We know that a major barrier to learning is unaddressed mental health concerns. That’s why we prioritized lessons on understanding emotions, coping with displacement, dealing with bereavement, managing stress, and finding hope. You can’t begin to learn until your mental health is looked after,” she famous.
Additionally, Dars Arabic is designed to accommodate numerous instructional wants throughout the area.
“Our core audience is 11 to 16-year-olds, but we hope younger children can also benefit,” Pearce mentioned. The staff has tailor-made content material to align with acquainted studying strategies whereas sustaining broad accessibility. “We want to ensure that the countries needing it most receive adaptations that fit their learning styles while also making the content valuable for children across the region.”
BBC News Arabic correspondents Hanan Razek and Yasmine Abukhadra will current the English classes, whereas the broader staff of younger presenters from throughout the area will host the programme from the BBC Bureau in Cairo.
The launch occasion, on 10 February in Cairo, featured discussions with Sudanese Minister of Education Dr. Ahmed Khalifa, Sahar Al Jobury, Chief of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees Representative Office in Cairo, and Esraa Ali, Founder of the Olive Tree Grandchildren initiative.
The Olive Tree Grandchildren Initiative is a grassroots group supporting youngsters from Gaza in Cairo, offering training and remedy to assist them heal from conflict trauma.
During the discussions, audio system highlighted the pressing want for instructional initiatives like Dars Arabic in conflict-affected areas, particularly at this present interval.
Sudan’s Minister of Education, Ahmed Khalifa, highlighted the devastating influence of battle on the nation’s training sector, stating that 70 % of Sudan’s colleges have been destroyed.
Esraa Ali, founding father of the Olive Tree Grandchildren initiative, spoke concerning the group’s efforts in offering assist and training to youngsters. “It’s a grassroots initiative run entirely by volunteers. Since launching in May 2024, we have reached over 900 students,” she mentioned.
Ali added that the initiative gives artwork remedy, group remedy, Arabic theatre, and academic programmes to assist youngsters cope and proceed studying regardless of difficult circumstances.
New episodes of Dars Arabic air Sundays at 05:30 GMT (07:30 EET) and are repeated all through the week on BBC News Arabic TV, digital platforms, and lifeline radio providers.
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