11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Primary education 2006-2007; dropping rates of literacy among women and girls ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 24027]

"Free primary education is compulsory for six years, and 89 percent of students reached the fifth grade. During the 2006-2007 school year, the enrollment of primary school-aged children was 83 percent for boys and 74 percent for girls. The percentage of children enrolled in primary schools was much lower in rural areas, particularly for girls, whose enrollment was approximately 60 percent. Overall enrollment in school of those ages six to 24 was 55 percent

According to a 2005 Ministry of Development and Cooperation survey, youth literacy (15 to 24 years-old) was 74 percent and adult literacy 65 percent. Only 56 percent of women were literate, compared to 74 percent of men. Both the level of education and literacy rates for women and girls dropped significantly in the last 15 years, particularly in rural areas."

Document(s): Open document

28.06.2007 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Samarra: In a bid to restore order after the bombing of the Shia shrine, 6,000 Iraqi soldiers and police have been deployed in the city; nearly half of the security forces have been stationed in three schools and students have consequently been shut out ("Samarra security crackdown making life difficult for students") [ID 20490]

Document(s): Open document

22.06.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Northern Iraq: Report on universities in Kurdish regions; corruption, lack of resources and political obstructions ("Kurdistan's Universities Need Reform") [ID 20502]

"The Kurdish government has promised a bright future for its youth, with opportunities to study at excellent new universities, such as the American University of Iraq, to be built in Sulaimaniyah. At the same time, higher education has benefited from the arrival of Arab academics, who have fled sectarian violence in central and southern parts of the country, and Kurdish intellectuals, who have returned from the Europe and elsewhere. But the university system requires extensive reforms before it can serve Iraqi students. The region's universities are hindered by politics, corruption, a lack of resources and a culture that does not promote critical or independent thought."

Document(s): Open document

04.06.2007 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Southern Iraq: Shia Muslim tribes setting up schools, eventually providing education to some 2,000 children ("Local tribes in south set up schools") [ID 20679]

"Shia Muslim tribes in Iraq’s southern provinces have begun setting up their own schools in an effort to prevent their children losing another academic year due to insecurity. Using empty mosques, the homes of tribal leaders and open areas, 21 temporary schools in Basra, Missan, Najaf and Kerbala provinces will eventually provide free education to some 2,000 children. Teachers will be paid by the local community."

Document(s): Open document

29.01.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

Baghdad: Deadly attack on girls' school ("UN outraged by deadly attack on girls' school in Baghdad"), Autor: United Nations News Service [ID 19137]

"This latest attack is further evidence of the violence and threat of violence disrupting the education system across parts of Baghdad, as many parents have stopped sending their children to school out of fear. Girls’ schools in particular have suffered, and the majority of children out of school in Baghdad are now girls.

A joint UNICEF, UNESCO and Iraqi Government study estimates that approximately 600,000 Iraqi children in the primary age group are out of school, and of that number, 74 percent are girls."

Document(s): Open document

28.01.2007 - Source: BBC News

Bombs and mortars hit two Iraqi schools, killing 7 children, as a US helicopter is reportedly shot down in Najaf ("Pupils killed as Iraq schools hit") [ID 19548]

Document(s): Open document

16.12.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Northern Iraq: Foreign Students Flock to Iraqi Kurdish Colleges ("original document (English)") [ID 9815]

"Kurdish students living in Iraq’s neighbours are flocking to universities in the Kurdish areas to escape repression at home and to benefit from the opportunities they say the region offers. The University of Sulaimaniyah alone has so far accepted more than 110 Kurdish students from neighbouring countries, mainly Iran and Syria, under a programme that reserves five per cent of all places at Iraqi Kurdish universities for high school graduates educated elsewhere. The foreign students receive free tuition and accommodation and a 100 US dollar allowance each term."

Document(s): original document (English)

09.12.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Central Iraq: Death threats against pupils and teachers. ("original document") [ID 9816]

"Schools in the Sunni triangle close following a series of death threats against pupils and teachers.

November’s Coalition-led attack on the troubled city of Fallujah is continuing to have serious knock-on effects on neighbouring towns. Many schools in the area have been closed for weeks following threats by insurgents to kill anyone working with the authorities - including teachers. When the fight for Fallujah began in early November, schools in Latifiyah, Yusifiyah and Mahmudiyah, three neighbouring towns located south of Baghdad in the notorious Sunni triangle, received leaflets telling them to close or face the consequences. Classes were suspended the following day. “The mujahedin threatened us and said we had to close the school to show our support for the fighters in Fallujah,” explained Anwar Ismail, headmaster of a primary school in the area. “This area is controlled by armed groups so it’s not a threat we took lightly. Our schools have no security or protection.”

Amin Abdul Hadi, headmaster of another primary school in the area, tells a similar story of intimidation. “A week ago, the mujahedin set up a checkpoint near our school. They beat any drivers who were listening to songs in their cars and told them to listen to religious lectures instead, so as to learn how to oppose the occupiers.

“They were terrifying the students, so I closed the school – I thought that would be the best way to protect the children and my staff.” While many teachers and pupils were angered by the threats, they say they have no choice but to obey. Many feel they are increasingly becoming part of a conflict they had wanted no part of. “Around 400 students aren’t getting an education and 15 teachers are sitting at home with nothing to do because of the mujahedin. What good does that do?” asked headmaster Ismail. “The mujahedin in our area say that whoever works with the government or the Americans is a criminal and must be killed.

“To preserve your life, you have to sign a ‘repudiation paper’ stating that you have stopped working for the government. If you do that, then obviously you have to give up your job.” With rebel fighters still effectively in control of many areas within the Sunni triangle, ordinary Iraqis’ frustration with the situation is growing. “The government and the Coalition forces have to put an end to this,” said Omaima Mahmood, a primary school teacher. “We are constantly at risk of being bombed or mortared anyway, and now we have an additional direct threat against us. The mujahedin stood outside my school to force us to close, firing warning shots in the air to show they meant business.”

Khalaf Mohammed, a farmer in Latifiyah, believes people need to take a stand against intimidation, “Closing the schools is a bad move. Education has to keep going. We’re just giving in to the mujahedin’s propaganda that they are capable of affecting normal life in Iraq. “Ultimately, Bush and Blair have to sort this out. Our kids need to be educated.” Even where headmasters have decided to take the risk and keep their schools open, some pupils and teachers are too afraid to attend. “When my family heard that [Jordanian militant leader Abu Musab] al-Zarqawi’s followers are killing teachers, they decided to keep me at home till it gets sorted out,” said teacher Maisaa Jasim. “I stopped going to work at the end of November.”

Latif Kareem, a local contractor, has decided to keep his child at home. “I stopped my kid going to school when I heard about the risk, because I know these guys can put their threats into practice,” he explained. “Last week, I saw them in Mahmudiya, dressed in black, storming a mobile phone shop. They grabbed three people, then let two of them go and took the third away with them. “As they drove off, they were shooting rounds into the air. No one has seen the guy since.” Like many of the people IWPR spoke to, Kareem had more stories of insurgent attacks on ordinary Iraqis, “The other day, we found the body of a man, dumped in the street with a piece of paper in his mouth reading, ‘This is the fate of every spy and agent working with the National Guard’.” With such stories being repeated throughout communities in the area, getting pupils and teachers back to school will be a near-impossible task without a serious improvement in the security situation. The education ministry, for its part, is powerless. “We are aware of the situation,” stated one official who refused to be named. “We are talking with the minister and trying to find a solution.”"

Document(s): original document

07.12.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Baghdad: Focus on getting children back to school ("original document") [ID 9817]

Document(s): original document

29.11.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Suleimaniyah: Special School for Returning Kurds ("original document") [ID 9818]

"(...) Since the fall of the Baath regime in 2003, the number of expat families choosing to return to Iraqi Kurdistan each year has increased from dozens to hundreds and is expected to rise. Many of the children now arriving in Sulaimaniyah have spent most of their lives abroad, and their western outlook is at odds with the region’s traditional ways. (...) In a bid to ease the transition, the Sulaimaniyah provincial administration has taken the innovative step of setting up the province’s first “international school”."

Document(s): original document

15.11.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Central Iraq: Kurdish Students Fear for Safety ("original document") [ID 9819]

"(...) The deteriorating security situation in central and southern areas of Iraq has led to many Kurdish students transferring to universities inside Iraqi Kurdistan following a series of threats. As a result of these worries, the Kurdistan higher education ministry recently issued a decree allowing students who had graduated from any of the region’s high schools to transfer back to local universities. After the fall of the Baath regime in April 2003, the Kurdish and Iraqi higher education ministries had passed a bill assigning five per cent of places at central and southern universities to Kurdish students, with the same percentage set aside for Arab students who wished to study in Iraqi Kurdistan. As a result, almost 4,000 Kurdish students applied for and were given places at Iraqi universities for the academic year 2003/2004. However, the deteriorating security situation has resulted in just 186 applicants this year. And while some students did return south to continue their studies when classes restarted in October, a significant number chose to take a year out instead.

Goran Hama Qadir is a Kurdish law student studying at Tikrit University in the Salahadeen governorate north of Baghdad, an area known to be a stronghold of Saddam Hussein's relatives and supporters. “Tikrit is a hot spot, but fortunately I haven’t been burned yet,” he said. “I’m always slightly afraid of the hatred the Arabs show towards the Kurds. They keep saying [we] had a share in Saddam’s downfall.” Qadir has been back at Tikrit University for two months but now wants to postpone the rest of his studies this year, “Whenever I come back to Kurdistan at weekends, my family asks me to hold off for a year, until things settle down.” Safar Sayid Ali was studying Arabic at Baghdad University, but decided to leave after a letter appeared on the college noticeboard describing Kurdish students as American and Israeli agents who should be beheaded.

“We weren’t safe anywhere,” he said. “The place we were living in was a target for the Americans while the Baathist groups were threatening us at school and in the streets.” Tara Omer, director of the registrar’s office at Sulaimaniyah University, told IWPR, “We don’t have final figures of how many students are taking up this offer, because it’s an ongoing process. But so far around 300 students have transferred.”

Students who have transferred their courses said they were delighted with the decision. “I’ve finished with Baghdad,” said Rako Abdulqadir, who had been studying medicine there. “Our lives were in danger.” However, not all ethnic Kurds are able to take advantage of the offer. Dyar Hasan, a medical student at Anbar University in the western Iraqi governorate of Al-Anbar, grew up in Khanaqeen district which now lies outside the Green Line and technically belongs to the eastern Iraqi governorate of Dyala. He hasn’t been to classes since term began because of the security situation in the governorate. “If Sulaimaniyah University doesn’t accept me, I will postpone this year,” he told IWPR. “My father would rather I was at home doing nothing than putting myself in danger.” Dyar has yet to hear if his application has been accepted, but says he doesn’t want to go back and study with the Arabs he grew up with. “I want to stay near my compatriot Kurds in my homeland,” he said. (...)"

Document(s): original document

28.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Rising threat against academics fuels brain drain ("original document") [ID 9820]

"A growing number of threats against academics is leading many to look for opportunities abroad, leaving a gap in the education sector and helping to further destabilise the country, students and teachers say.

"I never expected to have to leave my country, but now things change, there is no security here anymore and I have a family to look after, its really terrible," Dr Hadeel Mashhadany, professor of dentistry at Baghdad's Mustansirya University, told IRIN.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime 18 months ago almost 28 university teachers and administrators have been killed, while 13 professors were kidnapped and released on payment of ransom, according to the Iraqi Association of University Lecturers.

Dr Muai'ed Hassan, a professor at the College of Pharmacy at Baghdad University, was a victim of kidnapping some months ago. He was released after his family paid a ransom but now they will leave Iraq for his family's sake, he told IRIN. "I dedicated myself to building up this college, which is an example for the Iraqi people and now I will have to leave it and take nothing with me except for memories," he said.
Ongoing death threats received by many academics and the ever deterioating security situation are forcing those who can to get out.

Most of those leaving the country go to the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Syria or the United Arab Emirates. But others who are able to get the visas are also going to the UK or the USA to work.

Syria has just opened a new science and technology university and almost 70 percent of the teaching staff is made up of Iraqi professionals who have left the country in recent months, sources said.

Students told IRIN that the situation is causing a drop in the quality of higher education in Iraq. "The best professors are leaving the country and we are losing the best professionals, the real losers are the new generation of students - the future of Iraq," Abbas Muhammad, a student of Pharmacy at Baghdad University said.

After the war, teachers were targeted for being Baathists, but since the new interim government assumed power reasons for them being victims are more complicated. As professionals with stable jobs they present easy targets for gangs who simply want to get money. The fact that many have a chance to leave makes them attractive to those groups whose main objective is to bring more chaos to Iraq by removing some of the people who could help rebuild it. The difficulty of providing proper security makes the growing problem all the harder to tackle.
Mashhadany said that they cannot afford special security for themselves, and that they go to lessons afraid that someone could kill or kidnap them at any time.

Sabah Kadham, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, told IRIN that they were trying to give protection to students and teachers at all universities in Iraq, but he also said that they could not afford around the clock security for all. "What we are working on is to end the general problem of security in the country," he added.

Kadham added that the Iraqi police were being deployed at all universities and school entrances in order to make professionals feel secure, at least at their work places. Cars in the areas were also being observed and suspects checked.
Last week another teacher was kidnapped. So far his family have had no word from the kidnappers. A colleague, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, said that the teacher was leaving the college when a car with five men in it approached him and put a gun to his head, forcing him to enter in their car. "There is no safety in this country anymore," he added.

"Its really sad when you see that experts are leaving the country and no one is staying here for Iraq's reconstruction, there is no democracy at all, there are no expectations for the future," Mustafa Karim, a student of Medicine at Mustansirya University told IRIN."

Document(s): original document

22.10.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

UNICEF says Iraqi school in need of repair ("original document") [ID 9821]

"UNICEF SAYS IRAQI SCHOOLS IN NEED OF REPAIR. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a 15 October press release posted to its website (http://www.unicef.org) that a recent survey on the conditions of Iraqi schools shows that enrollment is on the rise, but thousands of schools lack the basic necessities to provide Iraqi students with a "decent" education.

The survey found that one-third of all primary schools in Iraq lack any water supply and nearly half of them have no sanitation facilities. Schools with the poorest infrastructure were found in the Dhi Qar (south), and in the Salah Al-Din and Diyala (north-central) governorates. Seventy percent of primary schools in those three governorates "lack either water service altogether or the existing water system is not working," the UN agency said. Of the 14,000 "named" primary schools in Iraq, there are only 11,368 actual school buildings existing. Of that number, another 2,700 are in need of major repair. The survey found that over 700 primary schools were damaged in bombings since March 2003; one-third of those schools are located in the Iraqi capital. Over 3,000 schools were looted, and 200 burned.

Some 4.3 million Iraqi children are enrolled this year in primary school, which is up from 3.6 million children just four years ago. Of that number, 2.4 million are boys, and 1.9 million are girls. UNICEF says the ratio is comparable to pre-war rates. The enrollment for girls was lower than boys in every grade and in every governorate. The highest enrollment rates for girls was found in the Baghdad and Al-Sulaymaniyah governorates (46 percent of registered students) and lowest in the Wasit governorate (39 percent), located in east-central Iraq. "Overcrowding, insecurity, and the lack of water and sanitation facilities in schools are the three main causes of lower enrollment for girls," UNICEF said.

The survey was carried out by the Education Ministry with assistance from UNICEF. It collected data on teachers, students, and school infrastructure for every kindergarten, primary, secondary, vocational, Yafi'in (alternative), and higher education institutes throughout Iraq. Some 20,000 schools and institutes were studied in the survey, UNICEF said. (Kathleen Ridolfo)"

Document(s): original document

21.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Southern Iraq: New school repair project starts in the south ("original document") [ID 9822]

Document(s): original document

19.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Iraq: Schools in need of basic facilities face overcrowding ("original document") [ID 9823]

"Thousands of schools across Iraq are still in need of major rehabilitation and basic facilities, while the southern governorates are facing overcrowding problems in their classrooms, a report by the Iraqi Ministry of Education (MoE) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has revealed."

Document(s): original document

07.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Southern Iraq: Refurbishment of schools in the south continues ("original document") [ID 9824]

"Most of the repair work should have started in May 2004 but insecurity, particularly following the kidnappings of foreigners, delayed work until August. Many international NGOs have left the country due to the precarious situation. (...) There are 924 school buildings in Basra but not all of them are open, local officials explained. Some were bombed during the recent war and now 870 schools are operating, but many are in need of rehabilitation and some were not built with good materials, making repairs more difficult. (...) An assessment was made of 174 schools in the southern governorate of Basra, of which 105 were chosen for repair work."

Document(s): original document

06.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Baghdad: Focus on back to school efforts despite insecurity ("original document") [ID 9825]

"Many school yards and playgrounds were empty in parts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, despite the new school term underway on 2 October. Parents refused to send their children to school in fear of attacks on educational institutions. (...) The Ministry of Education has sent special security groups to schools to assist with protection, but teachers complain it is not enough."

Document(s): original document

16.09.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

UNIVERSITIES UNDER THREAT beacause of coeducation ("original document") [ID 9826]

"(Al-Ittihad) - A terrorist group called al-Jihad al-Islami has threatened to attack Iraqi universities once the government allows coeducation in the colleges and universities. The group has demanded that the Ministry of Higher Education separate girls' and boys' education, saying that coeducation might cause immoral behaviour. If the split is not made, the group threatened to attack the universities.
(Al-Ittihad is published daily by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.)"

Document(s): original document

24.08.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Northern Iraq: Focus on rebuilding universities in north ("original document") [ID 9827]

Document(s): original document

08.2004 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Report on the current security and legal situation, material safety, displacement situation, human rights and protection situation as well as an overall analysis ("Country of Origin Information (COI) paper on Iraq (as of August 2004)") [#24717],  [ID 9828]

"Due to the security situation, many parents are currently afraid to send their children, particularly girls, to school for fear that they will be either kidnapped en route or caught in one of the many random explosions or bouts of crossfire which have become part of daily life in Iraq. Approximately 50% of Iraq’s primary and secondary schools are in a very poor state of disrepair and are not considered acceptable for children, as they have neither basic water nor latrine facilities. This situation was already existent under the previous regime and has only been compounded by the recent war. As a result, those schools which are functioning are very crowded and children are obliged to attend school in shifts. The quality of education varies according to the region due to the quality and level of training of the teachers. As with most other sectors, the schools which are in the poorest condition and the most overcrowded are located in the South. This overcrowding is due in part to the large number of persons who have returned to the South from neighbouring Iran in recent months. While there is no notable lack of teachers in the north and centre, in the south, there is a general shortage of teachers which is mainly attributed to the lack of salaries. Skill levels are poor and many teachers have not had any formal teacher training. Furthermore, the curriculum taught in Iraqi schools has not been renewed for the last 15 years. Plans to renew the curriculum form part of the Ministry of Education’s current priorities, although this will take several years. According to many NGOs working in the area, there is no overt discrimination as regards access of returnees to schools, due in large part to the clan structure and the fact that many people have returned to places where they previously lived and are therefore known in the community. However, access for returnee children can be problematic due to language problems, as many of them do not speak enough Arabic to follow classes. This phenomenon is particularly felt in the South, due to the large number of persons who have returned from Iran. According to UNICEF, there is a great need to train teachers who do not know how to properly handle such situations and tend to punish children for the wrong reasons, such as not speaking Arabic well, or not wearing their school uniform correctly. There are currently no facilities available in Iraq for children with special needs or learning disabilities.

While universities in Iraq are open and functioning, many are faced with a shortage of professors, since many of the qualified personnel have left Iraq (an estimated 2000 professors left Iraq’s 20 major universities between 1995-2000).Those who remained and who were members of the Ba’ath party (as was the case for many professionals) were dismissed following the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime, although some may now be re-instated due to the reversal of the CPA order concerning Ba’athist party members.2 The salaries of university professors are paid by the Ministry of Education. While there are reports that salaries for professors have increased, this increase is offset by the rise in the cost of living. Several university professors interviewed stated that life is still financially difficult because the base salary of university professors is still traditionally lower than that of other employees.
Access to university may be hindered for returnees due to problems with equivalencies, especially for those who completed high school in another country. Persons with foreign diplomas are required to contact the Ministry of Education in Baghdad directly, who will assess each case on an individual basis and decide whether or not the person can register at the university. On the other hand, returnees who were previously university students before leaving Iraq are not required to undergo any specific formalities in order to re-register."

Document(s): Open document

20.05.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Briefing paper on Education ("original document") [ID 9829]

Information regarding norther, central and southern region

Document(s): original document

22.04.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

School attendance reportedly dropping ("original document") [ID 9830]

"Many schools in Iraqi cities and towns, which have been plagued by fighting and bomb attacks, have been closed, preventing hundreds of children from receiving basic education."

Document(s): original document

01.04.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

Educational system ("original document") [ID 9831]

"Schools were generally back and functioning, according to the Joint
British-Danish Fact-Finding Mission Report in August 2003. Teachers
continued to work even when they were not receiving salaries. Attendance
varied widely amongst communities. Fear of sexual violence and abduction disproportionately affected women’s and girls’ school attendance but the situation improved as families arranged for their daughters to travel to and from school in groups, and as more male relatives began escorting female students to school. By the beginning of June attendance overall had reached approximately 75%.

In a report on 26 March 2004 the US State Department said that more than 2,300 schools had been rehabilitated, with nearly 900 more underway and 4,500 new schools planned to be built over the next four years; more than 32,000 secondary school teachers and 3,000 supervisors had been trained; entry-level teacher monthly salaries had risen from a pre-war $5 to $66; over eight million new textbooks had been printed and distributed; and more than 180,000 desks, 61,000 chalk boards, 808,000 primary student kits and 81,000 teacher kits had been provided."

Document(s): original document

08.12.2003 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Students in Basra University facing tough times ("IRIN: Students in Basra University facing tough times") [ID 9834]

Document(s): IRIN: Students in Basra University facing tough times

27.11.2003 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Fears of drop in school attendance due to insecurity in Basra ("original document") [ID 9835]

"(...) As the school day comes to an end in the southern city of Basra, parents hurry to collect their children, especially if they are girls, from school gates for fear of them being kidnapped or attacked.

A recent spate of threats against schools has led a number of parents in Basra to keep their children at home. Meanwhile, the police, albeit short of equipment and supplies, are trying to do what they can to restore security. (...)"

Document(s): original document

02.10.2003 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Focus on back-to-school effort ("IRAQ: Focus on back-to-school effort") [ID 9836]

"The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has repaired 175 schools across the country. Other humanitarian groups also are involved in back-to-school work as millions of children return to education."

Document(s): IRAQ: Focus on back-to-school effort

16.09.2003 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Focus on unbiased textbooks for schools ("IRIN: Focus on unbiased textbooks for schools") [ID 9837]

"The old text books contained a picture of the fallen leader followed by a note from Hussein telling students that the Baath Party revolution of July 17, 1968 was a great thing, because it meant the government could supply books to the schools. Many history and geography textbooks talk about the Iran-Iraq war in extremely patriotic terms and Iranian people are cast as "yellow snakes" for example, for fighting against Iraq."

Document(s): IRIN: Focus on unbiased textbooks for schools

16.07.2003 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Preparing for the new school year ("IRIN: Preparing for the new school year") [ID 9838]

"The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, has told IRIN the children of Iraq should be encouraged and assisted to return school in the first week of September, adding that parents were reluctant to send their children to school because of security concerns and fear of rape and abduction."

Document(s): IRIN: Preparing for the new school year

16.05.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Education in Iraq ("Background paper: Education in Iraq") [ID 9839]

"The quality of Iraq's educational system was initially worsened as a result of Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). The primary enrollment, for instance, had gone down to 85% in 1988. Following the sanctions in the 90s the quality of the education system decreased dramatically. In 2002 the literacy rate among females in the 15-45 year group was only 45% and for males 71%. Drop out rates are very high. Between 40-50 % of children drop out of primary school between grades 1 and 6. In intermediate school 30-40% drop out between grades 7 and 9. The number of buildings dedicated to primary schools has decreased from 9,092 in 1989/90 to 7,572 in 1997/98. Meanwhile the country has experienced the demographic growth from about 17 million in 1990 to 26 million in 2002. Over the same period the number of pupils enrolled in primary education level grades increased from 3,743,684 to 4,244,243. According to Ministry of Education estimates (1999-2000), 6,648 new primary and secondary schools needed to be constructed to meet the demand of population growth and eliminate double shifts and 5,940 schools required rehabilitation or maintenance."

Document(s): Background paper: Education in Iraq