For tenth consecutive year, Iraqis go back to school under sanctions
Iraq, Education, 10/5/1999

For the tenth consecutive year, thousands of Iraqi children went back to school in extremely harsh economic and social conditions under the embargo enforced against their country.

In this Middle East country, where a teacher's salary stands at 8,000 dinars (around 4 dollars), it is quite an adventure to provide a good education. "How do you want me to live and work with this salary?" says Ahmed, a primary school teacher in Baghdad.

To make ends meet, he sells newspapers, like most of his fellow citizens who are now taking a second job.

Pupils, too, are working to help their families. They can be seen in most of the city's markets selling various goods.

In his spare time, 8-year old Kadhem sells plastic bags and says proudly, "I work to help my mother."

As per-capita income is increasingly plunging due to ten years of international embargo, Iraqis who used to get for free books and stationery are now finding it harder and harder to purchase school manuals and notebooks, which the Iraqi government sells at relatively low prices.

The education level is also regressing and drives harsh criticism on the part of worried parents. "The education level has been regressing over the last nine years, due to teachers taking a second job, which negatively reflects on their performance at school," says a father of three.

For Salah, a civil servant and taxi driver, the phenomenon of private classes which appeared recently is another concern of parents.

"They want to ruin Iraq and its people. By maintaining the embargo against my country, they are killing hope and jeopardizing the future of a whole generation of Iraqis," said Salah.

Previous Stories:
  UNESCO begins school construction in Iraq   (9/27/1999)
  Report: Western aggression destroyed 3,800 schools in Iraq, Iraqi minister   (2/19/1999)

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