Siovana el-Nashir - Final Project Booklet

REVITALIZING IRAQ’SEDUCATIONAL SYSTEMThe challenges of transitioning a failing publiceducation system into a promising one as Iraqstruggles to rebuildBy Siovana el-Nashir

Iraq’s educational legacy Historically, Iraq’s educational system has always been held in viewed as vital to the country’s existence. Since 3000 B.C., the region, known previously as Mesopotamia its intellectual history and contributions to civilization in math a as for establishing the first writing system and recorded literatu Mesopotamia also gave the world the first written complete cod Hammurabi. This proud legacy of advanced knowledge and accomplishment through modern times.2

high regard and isa, was widely hailed forand sciences as wellure.de of laws, the Code of has remained with Iraq 3

Timeline: 100 years of Iraq’s educational system1908 First institute of higher education, a college of law, is founded in Baghdad; other colleges and academies open over the next 50 years.1921 A type of public and private education is established by the British as1932 a modern system under the Kingdom of Iraq.19581960 The British are ousted; the Republic of Iraq is born and continues1970s the British-style, educational system, adapting it over the next few1970 decades. Education becomes government-controlled as part of the country’s social agenda to provide basic education to all. Colleges and academies are consolidated and chartered as the University of Baghdad; higher education begins to flourish. Public education is managed by the Ministry of Education and is free at all levels and compulsory at the primary level through grade 6. Higher education comes under the control of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which reduces academic independence.4

1973 Iraq benefits from oil revenues reinvested in industry, education and1975 healthcare, raising its standard of living to one of the highest in the1979 Arab world.1980s1990s Start of a 5-year plan to emphasize science and technology to strengthen the country’s workforce.1996 Saddam Hussein becomes Iraq’s president and changes the climate2003 in higher education from one of learning arts and sciences into a platform for Ba’athist ideology and policies. Education starts to steadily deteriorate as the Iraqi government diverts education and social services funds into financing the 8-year war with Iran. Economic sanctions and the 1990 Gulf War continue to drain Iraq’s educational system. Teachers’ salaries decrease and attendance declines as children drop out to take jobs to supplement family incomes. To soften the impact of sanctions against Iraq, the United Nations and Saddam agree to the Oil-For-Food Program in which Iraq sells oil in exchange for food and other humanitarian goods. Iraq’s educational system benefits little from the program. US and coalition forces invade Iraq, ending Saddam’s regime yet uprooting the country’s infrastructure. Educational reforms are established to modernize Iraq’s educational system and rebuild its schools. 5

Overview of Iraqi education during Saddam’s regimeAt its peak, Iraq’s educational system was viewed by other Middle East countries as amodel to emulate due to its success in: • Raising literacy rates under the “National Campaign for the Eradication of Illiteracy”; • Providing unprecedented social services; • Increasing school enrollment and attendance; • Keeping drop-out rates and costs down; • Maintaining female enrollment on par with males; and • Delivering a quality education in accord with both academic and religious standards.Delivering Iraq’s Public School EducationUnder Saddam, Iraq’s educational system was highly structured and as well asextremely nationalistic — the ideal platform to mold young minds. For example,education was a centralized system under the Ministry of Education (MoE); there wereno school boards or local governing entities. Structured curricula and teacher-centeredinstructional practices were void of teacher and school administration input. Thecurriculum completely reflected the goals of Ba’athist beliefs and was strict, politicized,patriotic, and militaristic with no connectivity between educational needs and the needsof the workforce. Additionally, Saddam’s image and pictures of soldiers saturated textbooks; Iraq’s nationalism and bias toward Ba’athist ideology were incorporated into every subject area. Library books and computers were scarce. Textbooks were the main source of curriculum delivery and were favored for their portability (ability to reinforce nationalism in the home). Teachers were essentially charged with teaching Ba’athist ideology inorder to indoctrinate young loyalists. Under the teachers’direction, love of country and of Saddam was a constant inthe classroom. Students were required to sing, recite andchant proclamations such as “Long live the heroic Ba’athParty!” Plus, many teachers were Ba’athist loyalists andbecame the “eyes of the party,” scrutinizing their peersand ensuring Saddam’s agenda was followed. Students6

learned via rote memorization (without understanding) and recitation. Differentiated instruction did not exist and critical thinking, discussion, creativity, and debating were not encouraged. Students and teachers had limited interactions. Saddam, a Sunni, required that only the Sunni interpretation of the Quran be taught, much to the chagrin of Shiite students and parents. Parents adopted a hands-off approach to their children’s education for fear of riling teachers and school administrators and being blacklisted as unpatriotic. The MoE, in collaboration with Iraq’s universities, produced teacher training videos, pamphlets, and television programs designed not only to enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills within their specific subjects but also to accurately reflect Iraq’s views on education. Specially: 1) The education reform process must be based on objective study and evaluation of the current situation, and a precise diagnosis of the problems of the current system and the obstacles facing reform and rebuilding. 2) In order to guarantee the participation of all sectors of Iraqi society in the reform process, the responsibility of reforming the education system must extend beyond the MoE and its institutions. 3) All decisions concerning reform of the curriculum must be strictly Iraqi and in line with Iraqi values and culture.USAID supports curriculum reforms primarily favoring math and science over socialstudies and other subjects that might cause cultural conflict.With the assistance of US and international aidgroups, some curriculum changes were immediatelyimplemented while others remained intact. Forinstance, new textbooks were printed and distributedwithout Saddam’s image. Also omitted werereferences to the Ba’athist ideology and politics aswell as both Saddam’s and George Bush’s names.Militaristic content was replaced with forward-thinking,democratic language that espoused peace, humanrights, and love of country and community while“un-demonizing” the US. Civics books mention Iraq’sturbulent history but in a carefully-worded and limited capacity.Baccalaureate exams are still an important benchmark and are conducted at the end ofthe 6th year, and at the end of the 9th and 12th years. Religion continues to be taughtto both Muslims and Christians separately; however, Shiite students are taught by Shiiteteachers and Sunni children by Sunni teachers.Despite these changes to the curriculum, there still exist some challenges: • Not all of the country’s schools have received the new textbooks. Old materials (with Saddam’s image torn out) are being used, which creates problems in presenting updated material. 7

• The baccalaureate exams are not without their challenges. Students who missed school because of violence, risked missing or failing their test. Great efforts have been made by schools to catch students up and ensure the tests are completed. • Separate religion classes are vital to Iraq’s culture, but such teachings more than likely include some divisive language in light of the continuing violence between religious groups.Teaching MethodsAnother goal of the MoE is to change the way Iraqi students are being taught, movingaway from the old system of strict memorization to one that’s student-centered.International groups are helping Iraq’s teachers learn better teaching methods in addition to opening their minds by experiencing how their students would learn; how free speech and critical thinking works. In USAID’s program, Iraqi teachers discussed lesson plan designs, learning strategies, classroom management, performance and measurements, punishment and reward, and community-parent-school relationships. The majority of Iraqi teachers are onboard with these modern methods of teaching. Students get to break their isolation by being able to express themselves.Moreover, for the first time, parents are “allowed” to be actively involved in theirchildren’s education.Some of the challenges with incorporating new teaching methods into the classroominclude: • Falling back on old methods of teaching is still a problem for some teachers who find it difficult to adjust their way of thinking about the new methods. Saddam’s propaganda hasn’t been easy to forget. • Those teachers who are still having to use old textbooks find it a challenge to connect new teaching methods with old materials. • Overall lack of resources impacts how the teacher teaches. • Some students are concerned solely with what they need in order to pass the national exams and only want the teacher to “teach” the test.Infrastructure & ResourcesRebuilding and repairing Iraq’s public schools has been a slow process althoughprogress is being made. New school construction is a priority of the MoE and should8

ease overcrowding, eliminate lost class time. Safetyaround neighborhood schools has improved significantlyallowing construction efforts to move forward. Some schoolbuildings had been looted and badly damaged, and evenbecame battlegrounds, leaving only rubble.Schools specializing in music, song, and dance continueto be targeted by militant Islamists who consider theseeducational programs to be un-Islamic. Some schoolslack safe playgrounds, hygienic (drinking water andsanitation) facilities, and school clinics, which also affectsthe children’s health. Electricity has been intermittent insome regions, creating equipment failures and disruptinglearning. Many students learn in classrooms with no heatin the winter and no air conditioning in the summer. Limited resources, tied to funding and security, continue to impact reconstruction and the delivery of Iraq’s educational services. Although some schools are starting to see their facilities and supply situations improve, sparsely-stocked school libraries and science labs are still an issue at many schools. The MoE is developing a plan to ensure textbook delivery to students who have been using the old, outdated books. Basic school supplies suchas notebooks, backpacks, etc., are being provided by NGOs, non-profits, and US schooland church groups to help alleviate this continuing need. Computers are available butnot in all schools. NGOs, such as One Laptop Per Child and Generation Iraq, have beeninstrumental in supplementing the MoE’s funding for computers and software.ConclusionOver time, wars, mismanagement, isolation, and a hard-line regime directly contributedto the deterioration of what was once an admirededucation system. Reconstruction, reform, andrevitalization of Iraq’s schools progresses but not quickenough.Change can be daunting for some, but in looking forward,even the most resistant Iraqi will envision light at the endof the tunnel.What will carry that change is the enthusiasm andcourage of Iraqi families and teachers. Tamara Quinn ofGeneration Iraq is already seeing Iraqi students breaking out of the country’s bubble andconnecting with US students via email and written letters.Iraq’s children are quickly learning that it’s okay to dream, create, and think for oneself. 9

ReferencesEducation in Iraq, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_IraqEmail interview with Tamara Quinn, Generation Iraq, March 25, 2009.Harb, I. (2008). Higher education and the future of Iraq. United States Institute of Peace, Special Report, 195, Jan. 2008.Iraq Ministry of Education. (2004). Second national seminar on strategies and curriculum reform of the new education system. http://www.cpa-iraq.org/pressreleases/20040330_ed_symposium.htmlReilly, C. (2009, April 19). We are starving for textbooks. McClatchy Newspapers. www.philly.com.Saad, Q. (2006). Design education in Iraq: reflections on its emergence, development and contexts. ThinkCycle, Narratives in Design for Development, Digital Publication Library, May 2006.Tierney, J. (2003, October 1). The struggle for Iraq: education, Iraqi schools expelling ‘beloved Saddam’. New York Times. www.nytimes.com.UNESCO IBE - World Data on Education, 6th edition – Iraq, March 2007. http://www.ibe.unesco.orgWang, T. (2005). Education policy in post-Hussein Iraq. Harvard International Review, Energy, 26, 4, Winter 2005. http://www.harvardir.org/index.php?page=article&id=1290&pImages and clip art 121 Contact Iraq, http://121contact.typepad.com Air Force Link, www.af.mil/photos/media_se Black Anthem, www.blackanthem.com Clip art, http://classroomclipart.com/ Day in a Life, www.daylife.com Multinational Forces - Iraq, www.mnf-iraq.com PBS, www.pbs.org/.../infrastructure_02-12.html Spirit of America, http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/iraq10

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Fromtheauthor:My researchon Iraq’s educationalsystem started in 2009 formy Comparative Educational Systemscourse for my teaching degree. Ironically,in 2013, I was hired as a Teacher-TrainerConsultant on a US State Department grant to helpstart up an English language center (ELC) in Baghdad’sInternational Zone.My experience in Iraq was a defining moment in my lifedue to the profound effect it had on me professionally andpersonally. I’d accepted the position because it was the right thingto do as an American. My sense of duty quickly turned into one ofgreat respect for my Iraqi colleagues and students; their optimism inrebuilding their country is both unwavering and admirable in light of thepersistent, random violence that threatens their daily existence. They wore thefaces of determination and courage when making the dangerous journey to and fromthe ELC.Our Iraqi teacher trainees initially struggled to grasp the concept of student-centered teaching,but by session end, it was obvious they “got it” and were enjoying the teaching techniquesand activities. Similarly, it was rewarding to see my students’ writing greatly improve andtheir confidence grow; I came away from the overall experience honored that their achievementswere mine as well. ~ Siovana el-Nashir