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Accomplishments: Education
Quality education contributes to equality, stability, economic growth, and improved well-being of Iraqi families. For Iraq to prosper, student enrollment, retention, and quality of education in the school system are critical. Working closely with Iraqis and with the Ministry of Education (MOE), USAID's goals are to increase enrollment and improve the quality of primary and secondary education, ensure that classrooms have sufficient materials, facilitate community involvement, train teachers, implement accelerated learning programs, and establish partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi colleges and universities. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, a whole generation of Iraqis grew up disconnected from the rest of the world. Unemployment and low salaries forced Iraqis to abandon professional jobs and accept menial labor. Professional talent declined in health, private enterprise and education. Economic conditions led to poor labor efficiency where the available labor pool was ill-matched to economic opportunity. This mismatch led to poor economic and social returns on education.
An Iraqi student inside a classroom in Baghdad.
Photo by Bechtel National |
- Provided technical assistance for the resumption of the Ministry of Education functions.
- Provided assistance for resumption of Ministry salaries.
- Funded 5.5 million examinations for transitional grades, which ensured the smooth continuation of school.
- Created education coordination groups for north, south and central Iraq.
- Conducted a survey of secondary schools in all permissive areas in the country (3,300 schools total).
- Rehabilitated 2,133 schools during the first term of school year 2003-04.
- Awarded 395 grants worth $5,356,217 to rehabilitate schools and education Directorate General Offices countrywide.
- Provided materials, equipment and supplies:
- Distributed 1,195,281 secondary school kits that include pens, pencils, paper, math equipment, and other supplies.
- Distributed 142,762 student desks, 20,755 teacher desks, 52,055 teacher chairs, 17,059 metal cabinets and 58,000 chalkboards.
- Delivered 808,000 primary student kits.
- Delivered 81,735 primary teacher kits.
- Reviewed 48 math and science textbooks for grades 1-12.
- Of a planned 5.5 million textbooks being printed, 68 percent have been delivered to Baghdad Directorate Generals and 87 percent to remaining governorates countrywide.
- Trained a total of 706 secondary school Master Trainers from Baghdad, Dahuk, Nainawa, Erbil, Sulamanya, Saladin, Diyala, Tameen, Al Anba, Karbala, Najaf, Babil, Dhi-Qar, Muthanna, and Qadissya since September.
Arbil Accelerated Learning student Nergiz Muhammad Abdul-Rahman and her sister |
- Training of 33,000 secondary school teachers and 3,000 secondary school administration staff should be completed before the next school year.
- Began accelerated learning program in Baghdad, Nasiriyah, Ad Diwaniyah, and Karbala' on November 15 and in Arbil on November 22. Of the 680 students registered, 595 are attending the program. 54% are boys and 46% girls.
- Established baseline education statistic for Iraq.
- After a 14-year absence, the Fulbright Scholarship Program has returned to Iraq. The program will award at least 20 scholarships for Iraqis to study in the United States in 2004. USAID participated in the bi-national review committee for Iraq.
- USAID's Education Program employs 1,565 Iraqis for project work around the country.
- Launched Higher Education and Development (HEAD) Program. Awarded five grants worth an estimated $15 million for U.S.-Iraqi university partnerships: 1) a consortium led by Research Foundation of the State University of New York at Stony Brook partnering with Baghdad University, Al Mustansiriyah University/Baghdad, and Mosul University in archeology and environmental research; 2) the University of Hawaii College of Agriculture and Human Resources partnering with the University of Mosul Hamam Al-Alil for strengthening academic, research, and extension programs; 3) the Human Rights Institute at DePaul University College of Law and the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences (Italy) partnering with University of Baghdad to reform legal education; 4) Jackson State University partnering with University of Mosul for public health and sanitation; and 5) the University of Oklahoma partnering with Al Anbar University, Basrah University, and the University of Salah ad Din in higher education initiatives.
- The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research will purchase 8,000 student desks for classrooms in three universities in southern Iraq. The desks will be assembled and delivered by February 2004. The $200,000 grant to the Ministry complements five partnership grants made by USAID to U.S. universities to help Iraqi universities re-establish their academic programs and to strengthen partnerships between American and Iraqi universities.
Ministry of Education Baseline School Statistics, October 2003
| Students | | School sessions |
|---|
| Kindergarten | 53,499 | | Kindergarten | 631 |
| Primary | 4,280,602 | | Primary | 13,413 |
| Secondary | 1,454,775 | | Secondary | 4,155 |
| Vocational | 62,841 | | Vocational | 258 |
| Teacher Training | 66,139 | | Teacher Training | 171 |
| Total | 5,917,856 | | Total | 18,628 |
| Teachers | | Buildings |
|---|
| Kindergarten | 2,993 | | Kindergarten | 631 |
| Primary | 206,953 | | Primary | 11,066 |
| Secondary | 74,681 | | Secondary | 2,968 |
| Vocational | 4,693 | | Vocational | 158 |
| Teacher Training | 2,984 | | Teacher Training | 101 |
| Total | 292,304 | | Total | 14,924 |
Statistics based on UNESCO and UNICEF numbers |
Student Gender Distribution
| | Kindergarten | Primary | Secondary | Vocational | Teacher Training |
|---|
| Girls | 48.73% | 44.47% | 40.28% | 19% | 62% |
| Boys | 51.27% | 55.53% | 59.72% | 81% | 38% |
Statistics based on UNESCO and UNICEF numbers |
School Building Conditions
| Schools in need of demolition or rebuilding | 1,343 | 9% of all schools |
| Schools in need of major rehabilitation | 5,970 | 40% of all schools |
| Schools damaged in some way | 11,939 | 80% of all schools |
Statistics based on UNESCO and UNICEF numbers |
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