The education system in Iraq, prior to the conflicts in 1991, was considered to be one of the best in the region with over 100% enrollment rate for primary schooling for both men and women. However as a result of the US invasion, Iraq today is more illiterate than it was 25 years ago due to the destruction of its education system by the occupiers. Iraqi schools and universities were bombed and destroyed, according to a UN report 84% of Iraq's higher education schools have been burnt, looted or destroyed. Moreover, school and college buildings were used for military purposes by both the US forces and the Iraqi army. During the years of occupation, the US appointed underqualified people as the ministers of education in Iraq, one of them being Andrew Erdmann, a 36 year who had no experience and didnt even know how to speak Arabic. This man was in charge of handling the budgets, approving the curriculum and making all the key decisions. The scale of attacks on the educational sector, the appointment of underqualified people and inhumane policies of the US all led to the collapse of the educational sector of Iraq. This raises questions about the real intentions of the US forces, who should be held accountable for it.
The impact of the US invasion on Iraq's education system is truly disheartening. The deliberate destruction of schools and universities, coupled with the appointment of underqualified leaders, has had severe consequences for the nation's literacy and educational progress. The revelations about Andrew Erdmann's appointment and the subsequent collapse of the educational sector raise critical questions about accountability and the true intentions behind such decisions. Rebuilding Iraq's education system requires addressing these issues and ensuring that educational initiatives are prioritized for the nation's future stability and development.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Aliya. This is a very important topic to address. What is most fascinating to me here is how education is often used as a tool by superpowers, governments, regimes, revolutions etc to either oppress and render powerless an entire nation or to enlighten a population to fight for their rights. The way you have described the destruction of the education system in Iraq has reminded me of what Israel is doing with schools and universities in Gaza. All universities in Gaza have been destroyed. The reason behind cutting access to education then is simple. By restricting education to these populations, not only do they want to restrict their growth in society in terms o…
This was an interesting read. I personally did not know that the education system in Iraq, prior to the conflicts in 1991, was considered to be one of the best in the region. Knowing this, it is very evident that loss of education system is a devastating consequence of an invasion. It is clear that the extensive destruction of schools and universities, coupled with the misuse of educational infrastructure for military purposes, has left a lasting impact on the nation's literacy and educational progress. In considering the path forward for Iraq's education system, what international collaborations and initiatives do you believe are essential to rebuild the educational infrastructure or the benefit of future generations in the country? I'd love t…
The description of Iraq's education system collapse is deeply troubling. The destruction of schools and the appointment of underqualified leaders during the conflict have had long-lasting consequences. It raises significant questions about accountability and responsibility. I'd love to hear more about potential initiatives or strategies you believe could help rebuild Iraq's education system after such devastation.
It is very interesting to think about how an army that came to 'save' Iraq from a ruthless dictator actually ended up harming the people more. It also shows how low education truly is on the scale of priorities- rather than using any realm of protection provided to a society to educate its children, schools are used to store weapons. The educational sector is also fairly weaponized- by putting incompetent people as ministers of education (as you so aptly noted), funds are displaced to the wrong areas or lost altogether, teachers do not receive their salaries, students do not have enough materials to study, and so many other harrowing consequences that work to keep the rate of education low and…