Iraq's Schools Suffering From Neglect and War

Report

The first comprehensive study on the condition of schools in post-conflict Iraq has confirmed that thousands of school facilities lack the basics necessary to provide children with a decent education.

The school survey, released this week by the Iraq Ministry of Education, shows that one-third of all primary schools in Iraq lack any water supply and almost half are without any sanitation facilities.

The worst affected governorates are Thiqar, Salaheldin and Diala, where more than 70 per cent of primary school buildings either lack water service altogether or the existing water system is not working.

The survey reveals that despite the difficulties, overall enrolment surged in the 2003/2004 school year. But it also shows that the number of suitable school facilities has failed to keep pace with demand.

Some 4.3 million children are currently enrolled in primary schools, up from 3.6 million in 2000, the most recent year for which data were available prior to this survey. However, there are not enough desks, chairs, or classrooms. Many schools have had to double up, with a quarter of all primary schools in Iraq running two or three shifts per day, meaning reduced classroom time for each shift of students.

In fact, while there are more than 14,000 named primary schools in Iraq, there are only 11,368 actual schools buildings available to house them. Some 2,700 of these need major rehabilitation.

"Iraq used to have one of the finest school systems in the Middle East," said UNICEF Iraq Representative Roger Wright. "Now we have clear evidence of how far the system has deteriorated. Today millions of children in Iraq are attending schools that lack even basic water or sanitation facilities, have crumbling walls, broken windows and leaking roofs. The system is overwhelmed."

Wright said that the decay is the result of over a decade of neglect and under-funding during the sanctions era, as well as the impact of three wars, starting with the Iran-Iraq war.

The survey states that since March 2003, over 700 primary schools had been damaged by bombing a third of those in Baghdad with more than 200 burned and over 3,000 looted.

"The current system is effectively denying children a decent educations," said Wright. "The poor quality of the learning environment delivers a major blow to children, and the shortened school day delivers another." According to the survey, primary schools are most overcrowded in Basra governorate, where over 600 primary schools are sharing buildings.

In a statement earlier this week, Iraqi Minister for Education Dr. Sami Al-Mudaffar said that the survey constitutes the most thorough and reliable source of educational data for Iraq and will contribute significantly to planning, managing and monitoring of the ongoing reconstruction efforts of the Ministry.

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