Rehabilitating Iraq's Basic Education System
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
Press: (202) 712-4320
Public Information: (202) 712-4810
2003-075
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2003
In coordination with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), other U.S. government agencies and international organizations, USAID and its partners are revitalizing public education in Iraq by laying the foundation for sustainable, quality education at the primary and secondary school levels. The immediate goal is to enable children to return to their classrooms at the beginning of the school year in October 2003.
Prior to the 1990s, Iraq had one of the best education systems in the Middle East with universal primary school enrollment and high rates of literacy among women. However, a decade later school enrollment for all ages declined to approximately 53 percent. Today, renovations and repairs are greatly needed due to years of neglect under Saddam Hussein's regime. Recently, many schools suffered as a result of the widespread looting and vandalism, which left the schools without plumbing, lavatories, light fixtures, wiring, desks, windows and doors.
The CPA and U.S. government are working to improve practices in basic education for Iraqi children, targeting the most vulnerable students who are most likely to drop out, have already dropped out, or never attended school. To support the Iraqi government's education programs, the U.S. government is working with international organizations, private partners, Iraqi educators and local citizens to:
- Repair and renovate 600 schools in time for the beginning of the new school year and an additional 750 schools in the following months;
- Quickly reestablish primary and secondary schooling and increase overall school enrollment and retention throughout the country;
- Provide and distribute school materials, textbooks and school kits;
- Work with communities to implement accelerated learning programs to encourage children who have dropped out of school to get back into the education system;
- Provide training to Iraqi educators on modern learning and teaching methods;
- Award millions of dollars in small grants to refurbish schools and to encourage parent and community involvement; and
- Assist the Ministry of Education (MOE) with development of strategic goals, employee compensation, training of administrators and educators, and financial management.
Progress to date includes:
- Completion of a "back to school" campaign with UNICEF and delivery of 1,500 school kits that helped 120,000 students in Baghdad alone return to their classrooms in May following the conflict;
- Assistance to MOE and UNICEF in preparing and administering nationwide end-of-school-year exams and procurement of 15 million exam booklets;
- Completion of inventory of all permissible secondary schools in Iraq to collect comprehensive data on school size and condition, student to teacher ratios, parent involvement and supplies needed for the new year;
- Procurement of student kits for 1.2 million secondary students and kits for 3900 secondary schools for the new school year;
- Funding UNESCO to print and distribute 5 million math and science textbooks;
- Revision of 48 math and science textbooks nationwide and planning for the review of an additional 94 math and science textbooks in northern Iraq;
- Assessment of equipment and furniture needs of education offices in the 18 Iraqi governorates and provision of $5,000 grants to each governorate to meet these needs.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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