For over 20 years, Iraqis have been grappling with the crisis of losing the foundations of providing standard education to students. Despite half of the academic year having passed, a significant number of students still lack textbooks. Meanwhile, authorities have not addressed issues such as the shortage of desks in classrooms, deteriorating buildings, and complaints about the weak teaching of some subjects, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported in a recent article.

According to The Iran Project,Abdulnasser Mahmoud, an Iraqi teacher in Ninawa province, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “The educational situation is disastrous, much like the chaotic provision of electricity and water, and the deplorable condition of the roads, officials have no practical solution for it. The number of schools to accommodate students is insufficient. Therefore, schools operate in two or even three shifts, leading to a high student density in classes, reaching up to 80 students in some schools. Additionally, makeshift schools have spread in villages and outskirts of some cities.”

The Education Committee of the Iraqi Parliament has emphasized the need to allocate 4.8% of the budget to education to overcome the deplorable situation and combat the high dropout rates. However, experts anticipate that in the coming academic year, due to population growth, the number of students will reach around 13 million, exacerbating the significant shortage of schools and teaching staff in a country ranked high in oil exports. Such an educational environment is likely to breed resentment among students towards lessons and school.

Karim Al-Sayyid Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, stated to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “We started the necessary preparations for procuring educational supplies and initiating the student registration process earlier. However, the biggest challenge is the shortage of school buildings, and the need to construct and deliver 9,000 new schools. We have initiated school construction projects this year under the supervision of the ministry or Chinese contract companies, but this process takes some time.”