Kufa University to witness inaugurating additional colleges in 3013-2014
Najaf (IraqiNews.com) -The Chairman of Kufa University, Aqeel Abed Yassin announced the opening of four new colleges in the academic year 2013-2014 after obtaining the approval of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Yassin cited in a statement to IraqiNews.com on Saturday “We addressed the Ministry to inaugurate four colleges of Media College, Political Sciences, Languages, and Fine Arts.”

Kufa University prepared the required buildings for the colleges in addition to the instructors’ staff. The academic year 2013-2014 will witness inaugurating the colleges after obtaining the Ministry’s approval,” The University’s Chairman added.
http://www.iraqinews.com/variety/kufa-university-to-witness-inaugurating-additional-colleges-in-01-01/

Education Committee announces mechanism of accepting private universities’ students
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -MP, Ghaida Kambash, of the Parliamentary Education Committee announced the mechanism of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in accepting the students of the private universities by issuing an application form as the one used in the governmental universities.

Speaking to Iraqi News (IraqiNews.com), she said “The Committee discussed with the Minister of the MoHE, Ali al-Adeeb, the mechanism of distributing the students among the universities in Iraq where Adeeb announced that the students who passed this year in addition to those who returned from Syria will be accepted in the universities.”

“There is a new procedure that the ministry will follow for the first time which is the central application form for the private colleges as followed in the governmental universities,” she added.

“This procedure aims to achieve a fair competition between the private and governmental institutions and not according to the desire of the private colleges,” she concluded.
http://www.iraqinews.com/features/education-committee-announces-mechanism-of-accepting-private-universities-students/

Maysan Education Directorate: 40,000 people join literacy centers in Maysan
Maysan (IraqiNews.com) -The Education Directorate of Maysan province announced that “More than (40,000) people joined the centers of the literacy in 61 centers across the province.”

The Director of Literacy Department within Maysan Education Directorate, Bashar Hataab, said to IraqiNews.com “About more that 40,000 adult students joined the literacy centers in Maysan Province.”

“Maysan ED provided those centers, in an exceptional time, with instructors personnel according to the Ministry of Education’s instructions based on the Article No. 25 of Literacy Law No.23 for 2011,” Hataab added.

It is worth to mention that the Spokesperson of the Iraqi Government, Ali al-Dabbagh, has announced in a statement received by IraqiNews.com on last Tuesday that “The Premier, Nouri al-Maliki, declared in the metting of the Cabinet held on the 8th of current September a day for start a literacy campaign in Iraq to coincide with the International Day for Eradication of Illiteracy.
http://www.iraqinews.com/features/maysan-education-directorate-0-000-people-join-literacy-centers-in-maysan/

Training course over integrity held in Babel
Babylon (IraqiNews.com) -The General Directorate for Education in Babel province participated in the special training course over the reference manual for the Integrity Commission.

The Director General of Babel Education Department, Radhi Hajoul, told Iraqi News (IraqiNews.com) that “Babel Education Department participated in the special training course over the reference guide project to the syllabus of integrity and anti-corruption specialist supervisors and English language teachers.”

He added that “The Ministry of Education is interested in this field because the topic is a national duty for the development of education in Iraq in order to rise a generation aware of integrity and anti-corruption,” noting that “The trainees have been provided with an introductory folder and a CD containing an anthem about integrity and urges to reporting about corruption and standing against it.”

Hajoul pointed out that “Trainees were asked to circulate this anthem on schools to be read after the Iraqi national anthem during the flag-raising activity.”

Mid-October date for launching literacy campagin in Iraq
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Member of the Parliamentary Education Committee, MP Nisreen Anwar of the Kurdistani Alliance, assured that “The campaign of literacy will start practically in next mid-October,” noting that “All the preparations were completed to launch the campaign.”

Anwar said in a statement to IraqiNews.com “There are five million illiterate persons in Iraq,” confirming that the “Education Committee approved the law of Eradication Illiteracy and it is now in the implementation phase.”

She added that “A center for literacy has been established in each province and district.”

“Also, centers have been opened to receive the applications of people who wish to register for studying in this campaign and we expect to start it effectively in mid-October,” Anwar concluded.

nice initiative to encourage people in iraq to read !

DGY6hvwbod8

Iraqi pupils to receive grants and uniforms

Azzama, September 20, 2012

The government says it is working on a new program to lure parents to send their children to school.

This year up to five million pupils joined primary schools across the country but officials say more needs to be done to have all children covered by education and reduce rate of dropouts.

A parliamentary commission looking into the matter has suggested paying each child joining primary school 30,000 dinars per month. They suggestion has turned into a draft law and has backing of both the government and many legislators.

Burhan Mohammed, a member of the parliamentary commission on education, said the sum was modest (approx.. $25) but should help with the family budget given that many Iraqi parents may have up to four children at school.

“Our ultimate aim is to have all school-age children enrolled and moreover give their parents some incentive to send them to school and encourage them to stay until they are done with their education,” Mohammed said.

He said the government has already agreed to a suggestion by the commission to provide free of charge special school uniforms to all primary school pupils across the country – a move that will help low-income parents and increase a sense of equity in schools.

Education is free in Iraq and students in low-income neighborhoods are covered by a government school feeding program where they at least get one free meal a day.

The surge in oil revenues, made possible mainly by substantial increases in oil output, has spurred Iraq to embark on setting up the roots for a social security network.

This year, Iraqi families falling with the poverty bracket, are to receive special financial grants from the surplus money the country has been earning from its oil exports.

Good initiative.

Babel University inaugurates 5 electronic centers
Babel, Hilla (IraqiNews.com) -The Electronic Computer Center in Babel University inaugurated five centers for electronically submission in the Iraqi collages and institutions and the centers will be on duty until 30/ September.

The Chairman of the Centers Wael Abbas reported to IraqiNews.com on Friday that ”Two centers were allocated at the headquarter of the university while three other centers distributed on the medical, science and computer sciences collages.”

He added that ”The centers welcome the students who passed the high schools and have desire to submit to collages and institutions ,” noting that “The electronic from will be filled for free.”

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced that the number of student to submitted on the electronic form exceeded (38 000) students. \



Read more: http://www.iraqinews.com/features/babel-university-inaugurates-electronic-centers/#ixzz278aDLsRT
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$125 million for 182 school buildings in four Iraqi provinces

By Khaula al-Aukaili. Azzaman, September 27, 2012

The Ministry of Education has allocated $125 million for the construction of 182 schools in four Iraq provinces.

An Iraqi firm is constructing the schools to meet demand for the rising student population and ease congestion in current schools.

The state-run al-Simoud Steel Enterprise is building the schools. Al-Simoud is one of Iraq’s largest domestic pre-fab companies.

Under the contract, the firm is under obligation to have the schools ready by the end of the year.

The company will construct 98 schools in the Province of Salahuddeen.

The rest are to be built in the provinces of Nineveh, Kirkuk and Diyala.

$125 million for 182 school buildings in four Iraqi provinces

By Khaula al-Aukaili. Azzaman, September 27, 2012

The Ministry of Education has allocated $125 million for the construction of 182 schools in four Iraq provinces.

An Iraqi firm is constructing the schools to meet demand for the rising student population and ease congestion in current schools.

The state-run al-Simoud Steel Enterprise is building the schools. Al-Simoud is one of Iraq’s largest domestic pre-fab companies.

Under the contract, the firm is under obligation to have the schools ready by the end of the year.

The company will construct 98 schools in the Province of Salahuddeen.

The rest are to be built in the provinces of Nineveh, Kirkuk and Diyala.

Excellent news. Education is crucial. Very happy.:cheers:

LOL so each school is going to cost less than $700,000?

They don't mind spending $40m on a really shit bridge that probably only costs about $5m but when it comes to schools they're stingy as fcuk?

Clearly shows what types of schools they're planning on building..

$125m is nothing... doesn't one mall in Baghdad cost that much? How does one mall have the same budget as 182 schools?!

that is what I've been saying all along. go see the schools being built today in Iraq. it is from 1930 Congo.

their attitude to investing in the new generation is ABYSMAL.

lets build flashy government offices / parliaments and stadiums! YAY!

:/ 125million/182= mean average of $680,000. WTF? I mean a school of that cost in some provinces/villages will be very good. But its not the high quality of schools that Iraq deserves. I think we all can agree that the education ministry is only concentrating on numbers and not quality, so when it comes to election time... we all know what gassed crap will be coming out his mouth.

our company in baghdad was involved with the design for 100 schools (in the same scheme) for qadissiya province. same scenario 700k schools, with 12 classrooms. they want to cram 35 chairs/stools in a 7x5m classroom, and equip it just with a blackboard!

no cooling, double glazing, just an outside shared toilet etc... ABYSMAL STANDARD. not even tartan for the playing field. nothing. no indoor mess hall for the kids to eat in etc... just plain CRAP. that's what Iraq's young inherit.

they do not care one IOTA about the next generation. give the poor kids an environment in which they can learn, and be happy and relaxed.

we got a spanish architectural firm to design concepts for us, but the ministry rejected it as they came in about $1M mark, but included cooling, air tight doors and windows, wifi and LCD screens for the classes to enable kids to use tablets etc... as well as trees for shading. beautiful designs (sadly can't share them here due to non-disclosure)

sickening. Seriously, who the fuck are these people...they're supposed to be Iraqis, how can they have so much contempt for the kids of their own country.

Iraqis can only pull themselves out from the muck, they can't rely on the untouchable thieves to help them.

the only sectors that get money in iraq now:
-politicians
-government bureaucrats and their plush new offices springing up everywhere to "administer" the country's affairs
-stadiums?????
-army / police
-oil ministry
-electricity ministry (bottomless pit of corruption)

screw everyone else.

we got a spanish architectural firm to design concepts for us, but the ministry rejected it as they came in about $1M mark, but included cooling, air tight doors and windows, wifi and LCD screens for the classes to enable kids to use tablets etc... as well as trees for shading. beautiful designs (sadly can't share them here due to non-disclosure)

What a shame. $1M is still nothing... such a good price if it included everything you mentioned.

Sheytan, which city was this meant to be in??

All this is not really a surprise. This has been ongoing for years now. Every sane person is aware of the retardation of the current government.

At least we must appreciate that something is being constructed, at least I do because it could be worse - nothing being built at all.

Sheytan, which city was this meant to be in??

diwaniya and surrounding villages. of course we didn't get the work.

diwaniya and surrounding villages. of course we didn't get the work.

Wow, that would have be amazing there. It's really upsetting.

Higher Education obtains 23 scholarships from Poland
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced obtaining approvals to accept 23 students to study for a PHD in humanitarian and scientific disciplines in Poland.

A statement by the Ministry received by Iraqi News (IraqiNews.com) cited that “The Iraqi Cultural Counselor at the Iraqi Embassy in Warsaw, Mohammed Riyadh Abbas, assured that the cultural attach
------------------------------------------
Great news! Iraqi student desperately need high quality of education which they can obtain in European countries, since the educational system in Iraq is crap currently.

Urgent …MoE announces date of 3rd attempt exams
aghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Ministry of Education announced the date of starting the third attempt exams for the failed students.

A statement by the MoE received by IraqiNews.com cited “The MoE decided to make the first day of starting the third attempt exams is on Wednesday the 10th of October for the Third Intermediate Classes and the Six Preparatory Classes.”

Earlier, the Spokesperson of the Iraqi Government, Ali al-Dabbagh, announced that “The Iraqi Council of Ministers approved to include the failed students of the ministerial grades to attend final exams in a third attempt.”

Education committee demand teachers to commit to their duty
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Education Parliamentary Committee demanded the teachers to respect the time of the lesson and devote the whole lesson time for teaching.

The Head of the Committee, Adel al-Shirshab, mentioned in statement to IraqiNews.com on Wednesday that ”There are many factors can contribute in upgrading the level of the students such as the number of the students at the class since each class should not contain more than 25 students and the teachers should respect the time of the lesson and exerte all their efforts at the lesson.”

The statement added that ”The students should attend six lessons every day,” stressing that ”The upgrading of the education level in Iraq is a national duty which everyone should be involved in because any shortage at this field will lead to devastating consequences.” \

^^I think two attempts are more than enough..

___________

Iraq and France sign memorandum on academic fellowships programme

2012-10-05 By Khalid al-Taie in Baghdad

The Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced on Tuesday (October 2nd) that it signed a memorandum of co-operation with the French embassy in Baghdad to develop a joint Iraqi-French academic fellowships programme.

Ministry undersecretary Salam Hasan Khushnaw told Mawtani the memorandum "capped a series of discussions that took place at ministry headquarters between us and Danny Goyer, the French ambassador in Baghdad".

"We discussed the need to increase the number of Iraqi students admitted to reputable French universities under the fellowships programme, facilitate the enrolment process for students and expand specialisation fields," he said.

"We also discussed the issue of developing research and training delegations to enable our academic researchers to learn about and benefit from the French experiences in various scientific specialties, so as to strengthen [these researchers'] abilities and enrich their research," Khushnaw said.

Under the new agreement, the number of Iraqi students attending French universities will increase from the present 100 students to about 500 students a year, he said.

"The French side also pledged to lower university tuition for admitted students by up to 50%, and allow them to take up new specialisations in the pure sciences, like medicine, engineering, telecommunications and information technology, and in the humanities, like law and languages," Khushnaw said.

The French embassy in Baghdad "will work towards facilitating the process of granting entry visas to students admitted to fellowship programmes, and to meet all their needs to help them join their respective universities", he said.

IMPROVING SCHOLARSHIP LEVELS
Ministry spokesperson Qassim Mohammed told Mawtani the new memorandum "aims to strengthen co-operation with France".

Boosting the countries' bilateral relations will help raise Iraqi students' scholastic levels and uplift the country, especially in view of France's outstanding abilities in various educational fields, he added.

"In the past years, our ministry, as part of its efforts to enhance national development plans, concluded numerous agreements and memoranda of scientific and educational co-operation with reputable universities in advanced countries like the United States, Britain, Canada, Malaysia, Russia and Germany," Mohammed said.

"We aspire in the coming period to sign more such memoranda, and expand the process of opening up and expanding communication with the rest of the developed countries," he said.

Abed Thiyab al-Ajeely, chairman of the Iraqi parliament's committee on higher education, lauded the memorandum of co-operation with France.

"The memorandum will allow us to double the number of students attending French universities, while splitting their educational expenses with the French government," he said. "This is very good, and reflects French keenness to help Iraq rebuild itself. We highly appreciate this stance."

Iraq needs to upgrade the old educational system into a course system. It's pretty shitty having to do a whole year and all the classes because a person fails one class. They should not fail kids under grade 9. (imaging a 16 year being Stuck with 14 year olds), that will obviously tempt him to drop out.

There Should be regulated requirements for theoretical time, experimental time, and recreational time.

Each new school should include two or more computer labs, two or more scientific labs, library/ book room, gym, playground, and a field. Also a cafeteria, proper administrative offices, a nurse, councilors (to help students discuss their personal problems and remove all the stress), properly trained guards/ police officers that know how to deal with students.

Schools should be built with proper regulations. Projectors in every class. wifi service, properly insulated classes for the comfort of teachers and students. Wifi access in every class. Security

Sorry about the drift but one can one dream that Iraq's' educational system will be properly developed.

Here in the university I go to, we pretty much have a whole self sufficient city. Stadiums, gyms, swimming pool, courts for different sports, rock climbing, stores( yes, retail stores inside the university) each professor has his own office...

There's so many areas where they provided services for students. Student counseling, there are even special offices which are specified for helping with with essays/ doing homework/ making personal schedules. They even give interest free loans in urgent situations.

College for Languages inaugurated in Musayab district of Babel

Babel (IraqiNews.com) -Presidency of Babel University announced the inauguration of College of Languages in Musayab district of northern Babel province.

The head of Musayab Local Council, Thamer Thubyan, told Iraqi News on Saturday “The Council allocated a land piece of 5,000 SQ meters in the center of Musayab district to establish the College of Languages.”

“This College is the first of its kind in the district,” he added, stressing that”The College will receive students for the academic year of 2012-2013.”

Babel University intends to issue book of Cryptography science
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -Two researchers in the Information Technology Collage of Babel University are adopted to prepare the first scientific book which concerned with the interference of the cognitive science specializations with the Technological information Cryptography science.

The Ministry of Higher Education reported in statement received by IraqiNews.com that ”The two Researchers Dr. Engineer, Satar Badr Sdkhan Maliki, and Dr. Neda’a Abdul Mohsen, worked together to prepare the first scientific book in this concern.”

The statement quoted the Dr. Sdkhan as saying that ”The book will includes fifteen chapters of researchers from various countries.”

The statement pointed out that ”Babel University will establish scientific symposium to discuss the interference of specialties and thier effect in developing the scientific reality in the educational institutions.” \

Higher Education reduces Private Universities’ tuitions fees
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research decided to “reduce studies tuition fees for students in private colleges for the academic year 2012 – 2013,” calling at the same time deans of the private colleges to “comply with the international standards of quality and reliability because it represents a major tributary of education.”

The official spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, Qasim Mohammed Jabbar, said in a press statement received by Iraqi News (IraqiNews.com) that “Higher Education Minister, Ali al-Adeeb discussed with deans of the private colleges the importance of private admission procedures to be transparent and subject to the instructions of the Ministry of Higher Education especially in regard to rates, as well as discussing the possibility of reducing the tuition fee of study.”

He added that “The Minister of Higher Education stressed the need to adhere to standards of quality and reliability in the private education because it represents a major tributary of public education,” calling for the abolition of the exceptions in the acceptance and not to succumb to the pressure exerted by some sides.”

“Adeeb emphasized that the number of teachers in the private colleges should be suitable for the number of students to promote the scientific level and work seriously to eliminate instances of fraud.”

For his part, Director of the Department of Private Education, Saeed Abdul Hadi, Said according to the statement that “The Board of Education in the Ministry of Higher Education decided to reduce the tuition fees for college students by 7% for scientific colleges which represents over three million dinars, and 10% of humanitarian colleges which represents one million and a half and more, to be eligible for the academic year 2012-2013.”



Read more: http://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-politics/higher-education-reduces-private-universities-tuitions-fees/#ixzz28mt9QKvG
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Iraqi universities attract more than 175,000 applicants

By Adel Kadhem. Azzaman, October 10, 2012

More than 175,000 high-school graduates have applied to join universities in Iraq, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has said.

The number is believed to be the largest ever, indicating that the country’s education system is back on its feet following years of problems blamed on violence that swept the country in the aftermath of the 2003-U.S. invasion.

Universities are now present across the country and state-run institutions attract the largest number of students.

But private universities are available and the ministry says tens of thousands of students opt to apply directly to these institutions.

Private universities have their own application rules.

“The number of students applying to join (state-run) universities across the country this year has reached 175,668,” said Qassem Jabbar, the ministry’s spokesperson.

Many Iraqi universities currently offer post-graduate studies leading to Ph.D. degrees in various sciences and disciplines.

Iraq used to have one of the best educational systems in the Middle East and students from across the region sought seats at its universities.

But the system started crumbling in late 1980s and onwards due to wars and U.N. trade sanctions, compelling some of its best faculty to flee.

The system, however, suffered its severest blow after the U.S. invasion when scores of Iraqi professors were assassinated or kidnapped, leading to a mass exodus of intelligentsia to foreign countries, particularly Jordan and Arab Gulf states.

The return of some semblance of normalcy to the country, officials say, is luring some exile professor to return and assume their former teaching posts.

a school classroom in baghdad.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227405_10151212189062668_358322140_n.jpg

Wallah haram. Na3n3la Saddam...

Wallah haram. Na3n3la Saddam...

I think you mean Kharab Saddam.

I think you mean Kharab Saddam
Doh! Sure?! :D

saddam this saddam that... what is the new lot's excuse?

There are more than fifty pupils in that class!

Wallah ma yeste7oon 3la nafashoom

More perks for Iraqi university faculty

By Adel Jaber. Azzaman, October 17, 2012

The government has increased benefits and perks of university faculties to make them comparable to neighboring states.

In light of the new regulations, university faculty with academic titles of professor or assistant professor are entitled to keep their positions five years after the official retirement age of 65.

On retirement, university faculty will be entitled to at least 80% of the last salary they earned in service.

But the major benefit, which is seen as a catalyst to for innovative research, is the decision to grant authors of original research papers published in prestigious journals the sum of 4 million Iraqi dinars (more than $3000) each.

The perks were included in a new amendment to the Law of University Service. It is the second major amendment of the law which was promulgated in late 1970s to lure Iraqi professors abroad to return home.

The new amendments make working at a university in Iraq a tempting job even within the context of the neighboring state, including Gulf countries, which for long have been the venue for the exodus of Iraqi intelligentsia.

The government, in a statement, said it was keen to encourage research and also willing to give what it takes in appreciation of “the services offered by Iraqi scientists.”

“The law has been issued particularly to encourage scientific research, support university faculty members with prestigious academic titles and attract Iraqi professors” abroad to join Iraqi universities, the statement said.

---

saddam this saddam that... what is the new lot's excuse?

https://twitter.com/AyadAllawi

:D Ask him yourself.

150 Caravans distributed in Baghdad to replace old schools
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -MP Jafer al-Musawi of the Ahrar bloc within the Sadr Trend announced distributing “(150) caravans in Baghdad to be a replacement for the collapsed schools which were demolished to be rebuilt in areas of Sadr city, Maamel and Nahrwan.”

Musawi reported in statement received by IraqiNews.com ”The Governorate of Baghdad has distributed (150) caravans out of (500) caravans provided by the governorate to return the students to study at these caravans while completing the schools which were demolished for reconstruction.”

The statement added ”The rest of areas will be equipped with caravans during the next week,” noting that “Three schools have been inaugurated on Thursday in Shuala and Ghazaliya areas.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -MP Jafer al-Musawi of the Ahrar bloc within the Sadr Trend announced distributing “(150) caravans in Baghdad to be a replacement for the collapsed schools which were demolished to be rebuilt in areas of Sadr city, Maamel and Nahrwan.”

Musawi reported in statement received by IraqiNews.com ”The Governorate of Baghdad has distributed (150) caravans out of (500) caravans provided by the governorate to return the students to study at these caravans while completing the schools which were demolished for reconstruction.”

The statement added ”The rest of areas will be equipped with caravans during the next week,” noting that “Three schools have been inaugurated on Thursday in Shuala and Ghazaliya areas.

MoE gave month to dilatory companies to complete building schools

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Ministry of Education declared that the Ministry did not withdrew the projects of building schools from the dilatory companies, which assume the implementation of the projects, because the Ministry do not want to go through long legal cases which can last for many months.

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of Education Waleed Hussein reported in statement to IraqiNews.com that ”The committee which was formed from the concerned people within the Ministry of Education and the Education Parliamentary Committee to follow up the schools building projects has given the dilatory companies one month more to complete the projects,” noting that “The cell committee will send its recommendations to the Ministry of Education at the begining of November.”

The Education Parliamentary Committee threatened to present the file of the dilatory companies to the presidency of the Parliament to deal with it appropriately.” \

oWPG_Icfvlc
Great initiative.

150 Caravans distributed in Baghdad to replace old schools
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -MP Jafer al-Musawi of the Ahrar bloc within the Sadr Trend announced distributing “(150) caravans in Baghdad to be a replacement for the collapsed schools which were demolished to be rebuilt in areas of Sadr city, Maamel and Nahrwan.”

Musawi reported in statement received by IraqiNews.com ”The Governorate of Baghdad has distributed (150) caravans out of (500) caravans provided by the governorate to return the students to study at these caravans while completing the schools which were demolished for reconstruction.”

The statement added ”The rest of areas will be equipped with caravans during the next week,” noting that “Three schools have been inaugurated on Thursday in Shuala and Ghazaliya areas.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -MP Jafer al-Musawi of the Ahrar bloc within the Sadr Trend announced distributing “(150) caravans in Baghdad to be a replacement for the collapsed schools which were demolished to be rebuilt in areas of Sadr city, Maamel and Nahrwan.”

Musawi reported in statement received by IraqiNews.com ”The Governorate of Baghdad has distributed (150) caravans out of (500) caravans provided by the governorate to return the students to study at these caravans while completing the schools which were demolished for reconstruction.”

The statement added ”The rest of areas will be equipped with caravans during the next week,” noting that “Three schools have been inaugurated on Thursday in Shuala and Ghazaliya areas.


.....oh..........em.................gee....


Is that seriously the best idea they could come up with? I don't even know what to say.

God help those kids..

loll what's another solution?

Probably building a castle for each school.....

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/149643_397701436969910_71391750_n.jpg

^^ Those aren't bad actually. (Relatively speaking)

When they said 'Caravan' I pictured trailers.


I just hope it's worth it; their new schools better be up to the standard.

the new schools are probably worse than the caravans!

^^ :lol:

I really shouldn't be laughing giving the likelihood !

They look more like shipping containers than what I pictured ahah

Iraq Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, ICDL GCC take their strategic partnership to next level

ICDL GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority responsible for advocating digital skills and promoting the worldwide recognized ICDL computer certification programme across the GCC and Iraq, announced its growing relationship and closer ties with the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR).

ICDL GCC has been working closely with MOHESR for a number of years supporting its 2009-2013 strategy which aims to promote awareness, teaching and use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) across Iraq.

ICDL's work in Iraq was originally triggered by a collaborative project to implement the ICDL standard within the Iraqi educational system which included ICDL GCC Foundation, the Iraqi Ministry of Education, UNESCO and ESCWA.

ICDL GCC Foundation worked hand-in-hand with the Education Ministry to integrate the ICDL globally unified syllabus and international standards into the ICT curriculum being taught in public schools in Iraq as well as preparing and certifying public education teachers to become ICDL certified professional trainers in ICT teaching.

2012 has witnessed further development of ties between MOHSER and ICDL where an ICDL local office has been established to provide on the ground support in Iraq and being hosted internally by MOHESR within the Ministry premises in Baghdad; and a circular issued to all public universities requiring the establishment of an ICDL accredited centre on campus to offer ICDL to students.

A similar agreement is currently in place in the Kurdistan Region where ICDL has been established in many universities and made an essential requirement for all post graduate students.

In an effort to reduce the financial burden associated with the implementation of the ICDL program on all public universities, ICDL GCC is bearing the cost of providing training workshops that prepare staff to manage and operate an ICDL accredited centre, as well as securing third party funding from renowned UN organizations and IT industry leaders to reduce and/or subsidize the overall cost of training and testing material.

This is made possible by ICDL's unique relationships and its ethos of vendor neutrality and noncommercial cause to promote digital skills within the educational sector. The integrity of the ICDL certification and its reputation is demonstrated by the UNESCO and ESCWA endorsements and the inclusion of their logos on all ICDL certificates issued in Iraq.

Mr. Jamil Ezzo, Director General of ICDL GCC Foundation, commented, "We thankful to the recognition that ICDL receives from the educational authorities from across the region. We have been working with the educational sector in Iraq at all levels for a long time and we are honored to expand our partnership with MOHESR and offer them our unconditional support to sharing our knowhow and best practices in the widespread of computer skills. Although our relationship primarily targets higher education students, ICDL is an inclusive programme that is for everyone and every social group including women, jobseekers, retirees, and those with special needs. This will enable the participants to leverage these new skills at work, school and home."

3 new schools in Baghdad

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http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh3.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh4.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh5.jpg

------------------------------------

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh6.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh7.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh8.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh9.jpg

they are proud of this? sadly these schools are better than 99% of the other schools.

New school in Baghdad

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/newmadbgh.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/newmadbgh1.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/newmadbgh2.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/newmadbgh3.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/newmadbgh4.jpg

New school in Baghdad


http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/newmadbgh4.jpg

is this the torture room?

Yalla... not bad. This is nice to see. Relatively speaking these are good or at least decent schools... especially the last one.

I just hope these aren't the ONLY ones built. We should be building at least 50 new schools a year in each city -on average- not 5 or 10.


http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh6.jpg

No actually, there's no fcking reason to thank her. This is her job. God, when will this mentality stop?

Honouring people or actually thinking you deserve to be honoured (since they probably wrote up that poster themselves) when you do one good thing or 1/100 of what you're supposed to be doing.


http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/madbgh8.jpg


I'm confused as to what those on the right are?

wash basins.. like in auschwitz

actually auschwitz was much better.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/canuck01/5617257782/sizes/z/in/photostream/

wash basins.. like in auschwitz

actually auschwitz was much better.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/canuck01/5617257782/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Hahahah..

I thought they were urinals at first... simple ones.... and the taps might be for cleaning the bottom of it.... but then I'm like nah that stool thing is too high.

Then I'm like maybe it's for ablution or something.... but that wouldn't make that much sense either.

If they're wash basins then why have they decided sinks weren't necessary haha... and what is that stool thing for are you supposed to bend over and put your elbows on that thing?

Don't knowh who on earth designed this and what they were thinking.

they were thinking:

1- cheap
2- cheap washbasins will break after about 2 weeks.

so best option is to go with 1.

and screw the comfort, hygiene and dignity of the next generation.

Conditions that must be met in an Iraqi public school:

- half yellow painted walls - check
- overhead fans - check
- windows with bars - check
- blackboard/whiteboard - check
- old-style desks - check

Didn't know where else to post this.



Iraqi police launch plan to protect schools from violent attacks

The Iraqi Interior Ministry on Tuesday (October 30th) launched a special security plan to protect primary schools and kindergartens, following recent attacks that killed at least a dozen children.

Under the new plan, "one police car with a crew of four policemen equipped with weapons and modern communications equipment will [join] security patrols present in [each] school's neighbourhood," said ministry spokesperson Col. Saad Maan.

Cameras will also be installed at school gates and around their perimeters, and parking vehicles of all kinds near school buildings will be banned, he said.

"[These measures] were taken following real terrorist threats made on the lives of children," he said.

In the past two months, "12 children were killed and about 30 others were wounded in attacks targeting schools in Anbar, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Mosul", Maan added.

He said the security men charged with guarding the schools were "carefully selected" and are "well-trained".

Dr. Mohammad Tamim, the Iraqi Education Minister, told Mawtani, "The ministry has issued tough instructions to all school administrations [regarding] children's security when they are in school."

These instructions include "allocating one gate for entry and exit under the supervision of the teaching staff, with emphasis on securing it completely; banning the release of children from classes before the daily schedule ends; and advising [students] to avoid suspicious objects they find on the streets and to inform the authorities about [these objects] immediately", he said.

Children should also "avoid speaking with strangers, especially those wearing masks, and not to comply if they are asked to get into a car, resorting to the nearest safe place immediately", Tamim added.

"Terrorist groups [are trying to] impose a culture of ignorance and backwardness on Iraq by scaring and terrorising children so they leave school, thus disabling Iraq's most important institution", he said.

"This will never happen," he said, adding that the present measures are being upgraded daily to address any flaws.

Iskandar Witwit, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on security and defence, told Mawtani, "The Iraqi parliament sent a recommendation to the Iraqi government to shoulder its responsibility towards schoolchildren by providing them with total, unlimited protection as they travel to and from school, and throughout the time they spend there."

http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/iii/features/2012/10/31/feature-01

----

""In the past two months, "12 children were killed and about 30 others were wounded in attacks targeting schools in Anbar, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Mosul", Maan added.""

خوش جهاد.

Awful schools, looks like prison chambers, terrible, design overall. :ohno: I I was a child, I would not want to spend one day in that prison.

thans dude, but the but there is just a little issue I'm facing.
http://www.iraqinews.com/variety/kuf...eges-in-01-01/ is not responding.
Its quite irritating.

Iraq to buy 50,000 Dell PCs for schools

Thursday 8 November 2012

The Iraqi Ministry of Education has signed a deal with Dell to deploy 50,000 desktop PCs in 4,000 schools in central Iraq.

The deal is intended to help revamp IT learning and resources in Iraqi schools, which have suffered due to international sanctions, conflict and import challenges, meaning access to IT in classrooms has been negligible.

The deal will see the multi-phase deployment of 50,000 Dell OptiPlex 380 PCs plus monitors, which will benefit 200,000 Iraqi students, Itp.net reported.

Naif Hussen, general director of IT at the ministry, said they chose Dell OptiPlex systems because they are cost efficient, powerful and expandable.

EDIT

wow that's so little..

I hope they don't get stolen.

should have gone with tablets... and a much larger number too.

just googled this "dell" and aparently its an END OF LIFE product... having been replaced by the optiplex 390... nice. and its a DESKTOP PC meaning that it takes up a lot of space AND will need a UPS to make it work in Iraq effectively. They could have got a laptop for a lower price and which takes up less space... but maybe they were worried about people walking out with it...

but tablets lacks most pc functionality, kids will not get a comprehensive education in ICT from tablets alone.. but they should still get exposure to handheld devices too

العَتبة الحُسينية المُقدَّسة تفتتح سبع روضاتٍ قُرآنيةٍ

http://www.imamhussain.org/news/big/108.jpg


(imamhussain.org)

إفتتحت دار القُرآن الكريم التابعة للعَتبة الحُسينية المُقدَّسة سبع روضاتٍ قُرآنيةٍ جاء ذلك بعد إفتتاح الروضة القُرآنية الأولى العام الماضي ، وبهذا يكون عدد الروضات التي إفتتحتها الدار ثمانِ روضات .
وجاء إفتتاح هذه الروضات بعد الإقبال الكبير على روضة الإمام الحسين(عليه السلام) القُرآنية، ما دفع العَتبة الحُسينية المُقدَّسة إلى إفتتاح عدد من الروضات في مختلف أحياء كربلاء لتعمَّ الفائدة على أبناء المحافظة وذلك لإستقطاب أكبر عدد من الطلبة حيث تعد الروضة الحُسينية برنامجاً لبناء جيل لا يحيد عن مباديء القُرآن الكريم والعِترة الطاهرة.

يُذكر إنَّ العَتبة الحُسينية المُقدَّسة تتكفل بنقل الطلبة من مساكنهم إلى هذه الروضات بالإضافة إلى تخصيص نُخبة من الأساتذة ذوي الكفاءة العالية في توجيه الطلبة وتعليمهم .

http://www.imamhussain.org/news/photo/108-1-4.jpg

http://www.imamhussain.org/news/photo/108-2-5.jpg

http://www.imamhussain.org/news/photo/108-3-3.jpg

http://www.imamhussain.org/news/photo/108-4-RODA-(2).jpg

^^ the expression on their faces says it all -___-

^^ the expression on their faces says it all -___-

:lol:

^^ the expression on their faces says it all -___-

ahghahaahhahaahha:lol::lol::lol:

I don't get it...... what's a 'rawdha qur2aniya'? Makes no sense to me.

i think its a nursery where the religious nonsense is hammered into them from a young age.

^^
you don't have to agree, but how about showing some respect...

i think its a nursery where the religious nonsense is hammered into them from a young age.

to you might be nonsense
you don't see me coming to you and telling you being atheist is nonsense!

respect is a good thing.

religious indoctrination closes the mind since so many things are just "haram". simple stuff like how can a muslim fast in ramadhan during summer in Norway... basic mistakes that indicate that the quran was written by people UNAWARE of the earth's rotation and angle around the sun!! would seriously doubt "god" would make such a basic error... now with all these basic mistakes that indicate to anyone rational that the religion is a MAN MADE construct and not "brought down from heaven" being forcefed at nursery (and presumably at home by their parents)... all the while children in the REST OF THE WORLD learn a rather different curriculum.. (yes including you alshawi and fazl!)... why are you happy for such a "curriculum" to be imposed upon our young generation that neither of you were impeded by (having experienced a completely secular education to "western" standard yourselves!).

If we don't aspire to give the people in Iraq the same education, housing, healthcare and transportation infrastructure that WE OURSELVES enjoy outside Iraq is deeply deeply hypocritical.

sad to see such regression in the 21st century.... what hope do our youth have with such mentalities?

religious indoctrination closes the mind since so many things are just "haram".

to do it from such a young age imposes a great mental block on these youths from which they will have a hard time recovering.

sad to see such regression in the 21st century.... what hope do our youth have with such mentalities?

That wasnt my point and I am not interested in discussing this.

But my point was u referring to religion as nonsense

i think its a nursery where the religious nonsense is hammered into them from a young age.

Like........... is this aside from normal nursery; something they get sent to in their free time or is this a replacement to actual nursery?

I'm guessing it's the latter...... so do they spend the whole day learning Quran or is it just for a hour or so? How about things like drawing, playing games, running around, thing that regular 4-year olds are meant to do......something that gets their minds and creativity flowing?? So important at such a young age. Don't think anyone in Iraq understands how important child development is..

Do they even know how to read at 4 or 5?! Can they read arabic???? Will they understand a word of what they're saying or reading? Do they even know what religion is?

I mean school is fine but nursery? Seriously??? It doesn't make sense to me..... not sure what sort of child would want this.

they will learn caligraphy things I guess.

"drawing" - immam hossein related drawings and scenes.

"reading" - quran and various qrayat read to them and stories of hussein, sayida zyanab imam ali etc...

"theatre" - puppet play with the evil yazid against al hussain


and its not the choice of the children.. its the choice of the parents. In fact one of my friends in Iraq did send his son to one of these nurseries briefly (my friend is completely secular and nonbeliever, but he really found no alternative "clean" nursery). He pulled his son out after a few weeks after the boy started to be brainwashed and started going "astakhfurrila harram" at everything... not to mention the cheerful boy became a deranged straight faced maniac!


lack of proper nurseries is the main reason I don't take my kids back to Iraq at all.

It's not about what you teach them only, its about how you teach them.

Although I don't like the Abbasids in general, but Iraq's golden age was during the Abbasids era. This was mostly influenced by Islam.

As for the "haram", it Is important to shape children both through reinforcement and punishment. This does not necessarily block certain ways of thinking and categorize certain ideas as "taboo" in the mind, unless it is taught in an extreme way.

Most of the "haram" which you talk about are normal ethical and moral behavior

they will learn caligraphy things I guess.

"drawing" - immam hossein related drawings and scenes.

"reading" - quran and various qrayat read to them and stories of hussein, sayida zyanab imam ali etc...

"theatre" - puppet play with the evil yazid against al hussain

:lol:


and its not the choice of the children.. its the choice of the parents. In fact one of my friends in Iraq did send his son to one of these nurseries briefly (my friend is completely secular and nonbeliever, but he really found no alternative "clean" nursery). He pulled his son out after a few weeks after the boy started to be brainwashed and started going "astakhfurrila harram" at everything... not to mention the cheerful boy became a deranged straight faced maniac!

So sad. :ohno: And to think the same will happen to all those kids in those pictures and hundreds or perhaps thousands more of them.

Yep, there is no hope for Iraq.

You guys are exaggerating. As soon as these children hit their teens, they will start "capsuling" and fill their smartphones with porn videos.

i don't want offend any one here.. you know that i love you all !!

but seriously, i think this is f***ed up..

don't want to preach Dawking's work on child indoctrination.. but for the sake of a prosperous and developed iraq.. i honestly hope some of you would invest some time reading it :ohno:

What defines "right" from "wrong". People may have totally different meanings for these terms.

Yes BD unfortunately most teachers teach based on indoctrination, even in non-religious schools some teachers try to implement their ideas on the student. That is a major flaw in the teaching system (especially in iraq), and religious teachings is most vulnerable because of the old inherited way of teaching.

But their are new ways of teaching such as presenting all theories(including conflicting theories) on a specific problem and explaining each one of them (most noticeably modern scholars that used these techniques is Mohamed-Sadiq Alsadr and Ahmed alwa2ili) Regardless of whether it is flawed or not,
Islam has been at the core of iraqi society for more than 1400 years, and it will continue to be.

i don't have an issue with Islam having prevalence in Iraq TBH.. what I'm concerned about is that most Iraqis are incapable of critical thinking

Is it possible to change the school system?

It is, Kurdistan changed the whole school system after the summer holidays in 2009(?) to a Swedish school system

They also decided to teach from a neutral and non-religious view point

It is, Kurdistan changed the whole school system after the summer holidays in 2009(?) to a Swedish school system

They also decided to teach from a neutral and non-religious view point
I see but i meant for a religious society :D

yea it is possible to change.. but it requires huge investment in retraining teachers, school structure / activities.. and a HUGE affort in public awarness..

things that they MUST change to meet international educational standards:

1) no religious / political indoctronation at any level, people can learn about religion at their own free time..

2) ban on child abuse / violence ! it is soo prevelant you can't even imagine

3) build modern schools.. not the crap we have right now from early 1900s ! schools shouldnt look like prisons .. as they do now

4) give options ! kids have varied inclinations and interests.. schools should not be assembly lines, where every kid gets identical treatment... if a kid is good at sports / arts/ math whatever then provide opportunities, dont shove useless content down their throat and claim it's for their own good.. because it isn't

i could really go on and on.. i just don't have time or the will

I'm guessing it's the latter...... so do they spend the whole day learning Quran or is it just for a hour or so? .

Good luck getting a 5 year old to do anything for an hour, never mind a whole day!.

yea it is possible to change.. but it requires huge investment in retraining teachers, school structure / activities.. and a HUGE affort in public awarness..

things that they MUST change to meet international educational standards:

1) no religious / political indoctronation at any level, people can learn about religion at their own free time..

2) ban on child abuse / violence ! it is soo prevelant you can't even imagine

3) build modern schools.. not the crap we have right now from early 1900s ! schools shouldnt look like prisons .. as they do now

4) give options ! kids have varied inclinations and interests.. schools should not be assembly lines, where every kid gets identical treatment... if a kid is good at sports / arts/ math whatever then provide opportunities, dont shove useless content down their throat and claim it's for their own good.. because it isn't

i could really go on and on.. i just don't have time or the will

This is needs a major culture shift. A young child learns more from his/her parents than school, so that's what needs to be addressed - how parents raise their kids.

On the other hand, kids are like putty, and they can and do change. In the information age, religion won't survive.

Iraqis aren't pious or religious people, they just wear public faces. Their kids won't even bother with the masks.

This is needs a major culture shift. A young child learns more from his/her parents than school, so that's what needs to be addressed - how parents raise their kids.

On the other hand, kids are like putty, and they can and do change. In the information age, religion won't survive.

Iraqis aren't pious or religious people, they just wear public faces. Their kids won't even bother with the masks.

yes.. but secular/liberal parents who send their kids to schools in iraq.. are forced to have their kids indoctrination like it or not !


wanna know something funny.. i opened my eyes to this world exactly during the first gulf war... just starting my first year at school
i still remember crystal clear when bombs were falling, and how the mamoon telecommunication tower was bombed (which was one road away of where i lived !)..

but that didn't really leave much psychological damage in the long term... what did affect me are the schools in iraq !

i swear I still have nightmares about it till this day ! it is truly something medieval..

teachers beat you up at their pleasure, we had to sing and learn all kind of propaganda.. you have your childhood absolutely stolen from you..

alshawi. these children will have to grow up to face a world-wide workforce, to compete with and work with.

their "competitors" are not being indoctrinated day and night about hussain and the battle of the camel... they will FAIL in competing and working alongside "world class" colleagues and thus bring down Iraq with them.

I mean what is the reason we see so much FAIL from the decisions and thoughts of the people in the decision making seats in Iraq... they all came from a RELIGIOUS INDOCTRINATION background. They may be intelligent enough at a personal level, but they invested so much of their intellectual capabilities and TIME throughout their lives to the questions of "haram and halal" which hadiths are right or wrong, whether shias are more right than sunnis and other topics that they thought about, read about and debated endlessly for years... that did not prepare them for the JOB they were put into (e.g. allocating funds for construction projects, managing projects, managing Iraq's defence expenditure and the hundreds and thousands of other REAL jobs needing the full intellectual capacity of intelligent decision makers to have been taught, honed and focused on solving).

the fact that you bring up an example of a MEDIEVAL empire as cause celebre for "islamic education" really teeters on the edge of credulity!!! I mean REALLY????

teachers beat you up at their pleasure, we had to sing and learn all kind of propaganda.. you have your childhood absolutely stolen from you..
I feel sorry for you. I'm pretty sure things have changed now. According to the people in Iraq ( Samawa) if a teacher beats you, the student can complain about it, which probably will result in a ban for the teacher. The teacher has a lot to lose, and especially now since the salaries of a teacher is much higher than it was before. Back then teachers didn't get much payed which i think was generally for all those who were educated. I also know that people tend to ''force'' their children to study in order to get an education. The incitement is money of course :D

yes.. but secular/liberal parents who send their kids to schools in iraq.. are forced to have their kids indoctrination like it or not !


wanna know something funny.. i opened my eyes to this world exactly during the first gulf war... just starting my first year at school
i still remember crystal clear when bombs were falling, and how the mamoon telecommunication tower was bombed (which was one road away of where i lived !)..

but that didn't really leave much psychological damage in the long term... what did affect me are the schools in iraq !

i swear I still have nightmares about it till this day ! it is truly something medieval..

teachers beat you up at their pleasure, we had to sing and learn all kind of propaganda.. you have your childhood absolutely stolen from you..


That's pretty awful. Makes me appreciate growing up in Britain, though I regret the way I spent my childhood.

Youth is wasted on the youth, as they say.

That's pretty awful. Makes me appreciate growing up in Britain, though I regret the way I spent my childhood.

Youth is wasted on the youth, as they say.

yea one thing i think is great about the UK is the education.. . even when i compare to NZ , and we normally rank in the top 5 countries in maths and sciences at school..

why do you have regrets about your childhood.. i would give anything to have spent my childhood in a place like the UK instead of hell hole like iraq :(

That's pretty awful. Makes me appreciate growing up in Britain, though I regret the way I spent my childhood.

Youth is wasted on the youth, as they say.

How did you spend your childhood?

I'm sure you've said the exact same thing before but when asked to elaborate you refused. :D


If you ever mention it a third time I will not take no for an answer and you will be forced to just spit it out.

yea one thing i think is great about the UK is the education.. . even when i compare to NZ , and we normally rank in the top 5 countries in maths and sciences at school..

why do you have regrets about your childhood.. i would give anything to have spent my childhood in a place like the UK instead of hell hole like iraq :(

I spent part of my school education in the UK... it was not good at all compared to other european countries I'd studied in. Mainland europe is generally VERY good. and although the china/singapore/HK are top for "science/maths/reading" they are just robotic... incomparable to mere mortals like us :D

I spent part of my school education in the UK... it was not good at all compared to other european countries I'd studied in. Mainland europe is generally VERY good. and although the china/singapore/HK are top for "science/maths/reading" they are just robotic... incomparable to mere mortals like us :D

I don't rate the East Asian system of education at all. My university is full of East Asians (seriously, come to our EE department, you'd think you were in Hong Kong), and "robotic" is an apt description. They want an algorithm to solve every problem because that's what they are used to in school.

The Europeans to to be better, but not special...I think our department just doesn't get good students.

i agree with spin, i'm surrounded by east asians in my field.. some are brilliant ! amazing at math, even coding is pretty good (probably not so relevant in your field i assume..).. but when it comes to thinking out of the box.. i would give top scores to these countries (based on my personal experience)

1.Germany
2. Israel
3. Hungary (yes not kidding)
4. UK / US / Canda/ Aus/ nz Singapore (same level IMO)

this is mostly based on my area of work, i deal with nationals from these countries every day.. i'm doing postgrad atm

How did you spend your childhood?

I'm sure you've said the exact same thing before but when asked to elaborate you refused. :D


If you ever mention it a third time I will not take no for an answer and you will be forced to just spit it out.

It's nothing sordid or interesting, just feel it's vain to talk about myself. If I get a third strike I'll say :D.

i don't have an issue with Islam having prevalence in Iraq TBH.. what I'm concerned about is that most Iraqis are incapable of critical thinking

haha my dad says that so much.. :D

:D

It's nothing sordid or interesting, just feel it's vain to talk about myself. If I get a third strike I'll say :D.

oh goo on.. don't feel vain :D

we know nothing about you.. if anything chounz and me should feel vain

i agree with spin, i'm surrounded by east asians in my field.. some are brilliant ! amazing at math, even coding is pretty good (probably not so relevant in your field i assume..).. but when it comes to thinking out of the box.. i would give top scores to these countries (based on my personal experience)

1.Germany
2. Israel
3. Hungary (yes not kidding)
4. UK / US / Canda/ Aus/ nz Singapore (same level IMO)

this is mostly based on my area of work, i deal with nationals from these countries every day.. i'm doing postgrad atm

I largely agree with this, though I would put Israel as no 1.

The British are a funny bunch. Our education system is crap, yet at the highest levels, the British are very good. The problem is we have a large chunk below the highest levels that is missing (because of our crap education system), and that chunk is easily filled by those other people.

The problem is not with religion, the problem is with the whole education system. Here in Canada we have "public" schools and "catholic" schools. Catholic schools have the same curriculum as "public" schools, but add a catholic class. Parents have the option to send their children to whichever school they wish. The students that go to Catholic schools are not any less competent than any other students. The fighting/ debating about the Shia-Sunni, that is left to the Muslim scholars, not for students.

As for teaching religion, I agree that should be exclusive to private schools and not public schools.. The whole education system needs to changed. Perhaps include:

- "health/ or CALM" (for moral, sexual, personal hygiene education....) this could be incorporated with Islamic studies in "Islamic" schools.
- Gym/ Physical education for sports and physical activities.
- And of course the usual core classes for elementary/ junior high schools.

I attended an iraqi school for 2 weeks when I went there in 2009, the whole system is fu*ked. They still fail elementary students, they don't have credit system for high schools. (Which means if you fail one class, you must redo the whole year) . You see old students who are stuck with young students because they fail up to 3-4 years sometimes, this makes the students get hate school.

The way of teaching is based in MEMORIZING rather than understanding/ thinking. And that Is the biggest flaw.

The good thing is they don't force non-Muslims to take it. There were a few "Sabaens" in schools that didn't come to that class.

They say Finland has the best education system and I agree on that. Their school system is completely different compared to the other European systems, but their schools are very modern and they have very advanced and professional ways to teach the students.

is it okay if you can give us an example on how they are different from the rest of Europe?

i'm very curious :)

Of course.

One example is that the students almost don't have tests and don't get marks if they have tests.

There are no mandated standardized tests in Finland, apart from one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school. There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions. Finland’s schools are publicly funded. The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are educators, not business people, military leaders or career politicians. Every school has the same national goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators. The result is that a Finnish child has a good shot at getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a university town. The differences between weakest and strongest students are the smallest in the world, according to the most recent survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

It also has the highest percentage of students attending college in europe.

Thanks :)

can you please source your quote?

i don't know how they can tell their system is successful if they don't have standardised tests?

in my country, there was a big uproar about getting rid of standardised exams, but was later overturned because in general things go down hill if you remove standardised testing..

These two:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html?c=y&page=2&device=ipad

http://www.businessinsider.com/finland-education-school-2011-12?op=1

There are exams, but no regular tests whenever you finish a chapter for a subject.

That works fine for Finland, but it would be terrible in a big country like UK, Germany or France. Stratification of students is essential because innovation only comes from a small proportion of the population, and it's essential that that proportion be allowed to excel beyond the rest of their cohort.

I don't think people should all get good educations past, say 14. In fact, I would say too many people go to university in the UK, and more should take up apprenticeships and vocational qualifications.

got to agree with Hungary as I spent my nursery and primary school years there :D without that I would have been a miserable failure in british secondary schools :D


with regards to finland, I'd rate Denmark higher... (having been in both places, finland for 1 year and denmark for 6 months).

but overall in Europe... UK is definitely the worst I've seen (apart from some Balkan countries! I wouldn't really count as "europe" anyway).

I largely agree with this, though I would put Israel as no 1.


israel has one issue with their system !

you have military service at the age of 18 !

so people finish uni at mid 20s instead of the usual 21/22 years of age..

Singapore is a similar story except that you can put off your military service until after you are done with your undergrad degree

but overall in Europe... UK is definitely the worst I've seen (apart from some Balkan countries! I wouldn't really count as "europe" anyway).


wow ! really ?

think that's a tad bit harsh.. why is it so bad? looks great to me :S

def think UK is better than Spain/Portugal, Italy Greece .. that shouldn't be a big brainer ..

I really don't know the southern europeans much TBH. But compared to the countries I know (hungary, czech, finland, denmark etc...) yea the UK is FAR worse. One of the main issues being the attitude to education by children and the anti-intellectual slant of students in the "state" schools (at least the ones I knew).

although I went to a school in "surrey" supposedly a "good" area only 35% achieved 5 A-C grades at GCSEs, and out of over 200 students in my year AFAIK I'm the only one with a PhD. half the girls were pregnant by the time they were 17, vast majority of the boys were dossers. One I think went to cambridge and studied "history".

ironically when I was in that school I was always told in "careers classes" to become a chef or a metal worker or some other such "trade" ... and was told that university would be too difficult for me (this was before the GCSE results came in and I had 11 GCSE A-Cs ... which for some reason took the teachers by surprise - how on earth did that darkie do that?).


perhaps my experience was only a "particular" case. but I know plenty of others from other schools with similar tales to tell of ignorance, bias, racism allied to low education standards and bad judgement by teachers based on the "cut of your jib" rather than intellectual ability! :D

Never had such issues in Hungary for example where the teachers encouraged students to perform and taught us in a way that we ENJOYED the subjects we learned and read at home out of our own free will to expand our knowledge. we were taken to a theatre or opera or classical music concert every SINGLE WEEK by school, or alternatively a gallery or Museum. We had activities by the school EVERY DAY, and they were almost free so all children could afford it. There was no "trainer wars" with children showing off how much money / stuff they had like in the UK (the basis of "popularity" in the UK - as well as being " 'ard")


I Only wish Iraqis would learn from the education of countries like Hungary... but they would reply "hay eurobe el sharqiya, mu ib mustawa biri6anyee loo emrikeee"

My brother went to a secondary school together with a friend in Stockport when he was 16 I guess. They too said that the level of the students there was WAY lower than what they had gotten used to in the Netherlands. Also, the students over there were taught things my brother was already taught 1 year earlier.

I really don't know the southern europeans much TBH. But compared to the countries I know (hungary, czech, finland, denmark etc...) yea the UK is FAR worse. One of the main issues being the attitude to education by children and the anti-intellectual slant of students in the "state" schools (at least the ones I knew).

although I went to a school in "surrey" supposedly a "good" area only 35% achieved 5 A-C grades at GCSEs, and out of over 200 students in my year AFAIK I'm the only one with a PhD. half the girls were pregnant by the time they were 17, vast majority of the boys were dossers. One I think went to cambridge and studied "history".

ironically when I was in that school I was always told in "careers classes" to become a chef or a metal worker or some other such "trade" ... and was told that university would be too difficult for me (this was before the GCSE results came in and I had 11 GCSE A-Cs ... which for some reason took the teachers by surprise - how on earth did that darkie do that?).

:lol: that's a very interesting insight !

i dunno.. i can only judge from the ppl that i know here who went through the high school system here.. (mostly cousins and second degree cousins)..
most did pretty okay.. they ended up in good (not amazing) unis, Brunel and the likes.. tho one is doing med at UCL ..

i guess your opinion probably more enlightened than mine ..

YMMV :D as the saying goes. different people had different experiences. However the UK has the "public schools" (which are actually private schools! LOL) as well as the "grammar" schools in the past (don't know if they still do) for talented students. but fact is I was always classified as an "untalented" student for no apparent reason (I never did badly in any exams) and thus stayed in a bad school, surrounded by ingrates and teachers who steered us towards a career in making sausage rolls :D

during 4 years of high school in London we were never taken on any trips of educational or cultural value (compared to over 100 trips during my time at school in budapest)... there were a dozen fights a day at school compared to 0 during all the years I spent in Budapest etc...

israel has one issue with their system !

you have military service at the age of 18 !

so people finish uni at mid 20s instead of the usual 21/22 years of age..

Singapore is a similar story except that you can put off your military service until after you are done with your undergrad degree

yes, and I understand it's unpopular over there. However, there are some advantages. For a start, you take education more seriously after you are done. Secondly, in the IDF you can actually do some quite impressive technical work if you are that way inclined. If you get entry into the right units of the IDF, you can make valuable connections. I think Israel's defence electronics and software industry has benefited from this, as has its prevalent start-up culture.

I read an interview with a successful Israeli entrepreneur who said that what he gained from his time in the IDF was a "anything is possible" attitude, which he carried through to his business life.

Iraqis are oppressed everywhere.

YMMV :D as the saying goes. different people had different experiences. However the UK has the "public schools" (which are actually private schools! LOL) as well as the "grammar" schools in the past (don't know if they still do) for talented students. but fact is I was always classified as an "untalented" student for no apparent reason (I never did badly in any exams) and thus stayed in a bad school, surrounded by ingrates and teachers who steered us towards a career in making sausage rolls :D

during 4 years of high school in London we were never taken on any trips of educational or cultural value (compared to over 100 trips during my time at school in budapest)... there were a dozen fights a day at school compared to 0 during all the years I spent in Budapest etc...

I spent my entire high school life in an all-boys grammar school. Was constituted of Jews, Asians and Chinese. You can imagine we never got laid much :D You can imagine we were the lowest rung of the social ladder :D And that we got picked on a lot by other schools :D


I think in my seven years there I saw one other Arab, though I'm not sure he was actually Arabic.

EDIT: in fact, our bus-route converged with two other schools, who took their respective turns in picking on us. (one of these schools was basically a prison for delinquents - its where you go if you got expelled from other schools in the borough).

yes, and I understand it's unpopular over there. However, there are some advantages. For a start, you take education more seriously after you are done. Secondly, in the IDF you can actually do some quite impressive technical work if you are that way inclined. If you get entry into the right units of the IDF, you can make valuable connections. I think Israel's defence electronics and software industry has benefited from this, as has its prevalent start-up culture.

I read an interview with a successful Israeli entrepreneur who said that what he gained from his time in the IDF was a "anything is possible" attitude, which he carried through to his business life.

very true..

one of my mates here was in the IDF special forces (explosives unit) :D

i think that's so awesome.. wish NZ had military service like that :lol:

I was in one of those scum schools who'd stand outside your school and wait for you to come out at 3.15 because we were all bunking off and shacking up with the birds behind the bike sheds :D

I spent my entire high school life in an all-boys grammar school. Was constituted of Jews, Asians and Chinese. You can imagine we never got laid much :D You can imagine we were the lowest rung of the social ladder :D And that we got picked on a lot by other schools :D


I think in my seven years there I saw one other Arab, though I'm not sure he was actually Arabic.

EDIT: in fact, our bus-route converged with two other schools, who took their respective turns in picking on us. (one of these schools was basically a prison for delinquents - its where you go if you got expelled from other schools in the borough).

yea my cousins went to those all-boys grammar schools.. sound rather depriving :lol:

education wise, they do seem pretty good.. other than the sausage fest.. i wouldnt have mind going to one

I was in one of those scum schools who'd stand outside your school and wait for you to come out at 3.15 because we were all bunking off and shacking up with the birds behind the bike sheds :D

lucky you!

spin cycle. I don't think you meant that :D

yea my cousins went to those all-boys grammar schools.. sound rather depriving :lol:

education wise, they do seem pretty good.. other than the sausage fest.. i wouldnt have mind going to one

Education-wise, I had no complaints. The "old-skool" teachers were excellent, and had a real passion for their subjects and life experience which really came through. Not sure what standards are like now. There were a lot of young, new teachers coming into the school in my final couple of years, and they weren't much good. The problem is teaching is easy to get into but good teachers are rare.

Socially, it was pretty lame.

spin cycle. I don't think you meant that :D

Depends if I would have come out the other side ok. You seemed to have gotten through (though I imagine the same couldn't be said about your classmates).

Dewan Architects and Engineers to design university campus in historical city of Samarra
United Arab Emirates: Thursday, November 01 - 2012 at 16:03




Dewan Architects and Engineers, one of the region's leading architectural and engineering consulting firms, has been awarded the contract to design the Samarra University, an educational project to be established in the historic city of Samarra.

Samarra, about 124 km north of Baghdad, is considered as world's largest known ancient city with its majestic ruins. The city was built by Caliph Al-Mu'tasim in 836 AD to replace Baghdad as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, and abandoned by Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in 892 AD.

Despite the short sojourn of the Abbasid Caliphate in Samarra, the city's artistic, literary, and scientific splendors have remained a legend in Arab history.

The decision to participate in the Masterplanning and design of a modern university campus in Samarra, considered to be the largest ancient city known to man, is in line with Dewan's mission to actively participate in the rebuilding of Iraq's ones flourishing education sector and to help return it to its glory days where Iraq once lay claim to having the best universities in the region and the most educated population in the Arab world.

The university, which is envisioned to house around 12,000 students and a large number of acting faculty members, is planned to be implemented in three stages, with the first stage to be built by 2015.

Mohamed Al Assam, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Dewan, commented, "As a key player in the major reconstruction efforts of the educational sector in Iraq, we are very excited to be part of this prestigious project, which envisions an enlightened and knowledge-based society in Iraq."

He added, "This project is significant as Samarra is home to a number of sites of historic and architectural interest. As such, our design will incorporate various elements that correspond with the area's cultural and historical significance while complying with international best practices in education campus planning The university will also be designed to be environmentally friendly and with a strong focus on sustainability."

The campus, which will be planned and developed on a 2,6 square kilometres land, is expected to be a word-class education campus incorporating modern technologies and building practices, and without sacrifciging the deep-rooted Iraqi architectural heritage. The campus will house 18 colleges, including those for Education, Archaeology, Medicine, Dentistry, Engineering and Sciences, Applied Engineering, Business and Economics, Biomedical Engineering, Agriculture, Nursing, International Affairs, Law, Media and Fine Arts, Languages, Sports, Computer Sciences, Islamic Studies, and Applied Sciences.

Other building components will include the university's head office, a conference hall, central library, the various Deans' offices, a scientific/research centre, laboratories, library building, students' accommodation, faculty accommodation, a students' complex, social centres, a cultural complex, as well as restaurants and cafeterias.

Dewan Architects & Engineers has extensive experience in the educational sector and has completed a number reputed and successful projects including K-12 schools for Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), Aldar Academies, in addition to higher-education projects for Zayed University, Higher Colleges of Technology, Kufa University, and George Mason University.

Commented Al Assam, "This project is one of a number of educational developments we have taken on in the GCC region and Iraq and forms part of our regional growth strategy. We have a solid track record in this sector and we are confident that we can deliver an outstanding design that corresponds with the client's vision for the future while honouring the past."

Dewan Architects & Engineers is a regional architectural and engineering design firm with nearly three decades of industry successes across GCC countries, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The firm has offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, the Philippines, and India and has received many awards for excellence including being placed on the 'World Architecture Top 100' list by the esteemed UK Building Design Magazine for four consecutive years, Major projects undertaken successfully by Dewan include the Yas Island Viceroy Hotel, The Fairmont Resort and Al Bateen School in Abu Dhabi, Ibn Batutta Shopping Mall and Green Community in Dubai, UAE, and the Baghdad Rotana Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq.


EDIT --- Just saw that elusive has already posted this in the construction thread, my bad.

^^
Nah not your bad it should be here or even have its own thread as there is enough information about it.

____________

Fifty World Bank-funded schools opened across Iraq

2012-11-14

Iraq on Wednesday (November 14th) inaugurated 50 World Bank-funded schools across the country, the Ministry of Education said.

"The number of classes at the new schools range between 16, 18 and 24, all laid out according to modern designs that take the country's scientific development and the rise in student numbers into account," ministry spokesperson Waleed Hussein told Al-Shorfa.

The schools are expected to accommodate tens of thousands of students who will receive computer lessons, and attend English, chemistry, physics and biology lectures in modern classrooms, he said.

The schools also feature playgrounds, reading rooms and libraries, he said.

Sixty more schools will open by the end of this year in Iraq, according to Hussein.

Number of Iraqi students admitted to medical, engineering colleges leaps

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/6798/iraqstudentsincrease650.jpg
Iraqi universities have seen an increase in the number of medical and engineering students. Above, students walk through the main gate at Baghdad's al-Mustansiriyah University. [Ali Yussef/AFP]

2012-11-14 By Khalid al-Taie in Baghdad

The number of students admitted to medical and engineering colleges in Iraq jumped significantly in the 2012-2013 academic year in comparison with the previous year, officials at the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research said Friday (November 9th).

The number of students graduating from high schools [in science] who were admitted into medicine-related colleges […] increased by 12% for medical colleges, 67% for dentistry colleges and 27% for pharmacy colleges across all Iraqi universities," said Abdul Wahab Mohammed, general director of the ministry's central admission office.

"As for those students accepted into engineering colleges of all specialties, their numbers rose by 20% this year," he told Mawtani.

Mohammed attributed these increased figures to the successful performance of Iraqi students in the last grade of secondary school, who he said received very high marks.

The fact more Iraqis are studying in the medical and engineering fields is "an important accomplishment for the country because we require the scientific capabilities of young students to meet the needs of the health sector for physicians, and [we also require the skills] of engineers to promote the reconstruction efforts and build our country", he said.

So far this year, a total of 114,380 students have successfully completed secondary school in the sciences, humanities and other areas, and were admitted to various colleges and institutes, he said.

The ministry created around 90 new colleges, institutes and departments to absorb this increase in students completing their secondary school studies, in line with the ministry's centralised admission plan for 2012-2013, he said.

'REAL NEED'
This year, 12,830 male and female students were accepted into medical and engineering colleges, while the total number for last year for both groups reached 10,462, ministry spokesperson Qassim Mohammed told Mawtani.

"There is great need for any increase in student numbers [in medical colleges] in order to secure the requirements of the expansions taking place in hospitals and health centres," he said. "There is also need in the private and public sectors for people specialised in engineering in order to support national development."

Mohammed said the ministry will continue its plans to build more universities, colleges and institutes, and to expand current academic institutions so they will be able to keep pace with the steady growth in Iraq's education sector in general.

Meanwhile, Ashour al-Karbouli, a member of the parliamentary committee on higher education, deemed the jump in medical and engineering students a "good and important indicator".

The increase will help overcome the problem of lack of qualified human resources in the development and service sectors, he added.

International conference for higher education to be held on next Tuesday in Iraq

Added by Baghdad Iraq on November 26, 2012.
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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research will hold its international conference, on next Tuesday, to discuss developing the higher education in Iraq where the conference will witness participation of foreign exerts.

A statement by the Ministry quoted the Director General of the Research & Development Office also head of the preparatory commission for the conference, Mohamed Atiya al-Saraj, as saying “The meeting will be held under slogan (Development towards Society of knowledge) where it will be participated by experts from UK, US, Holland, Australia, and Ireland.”

“The activities of the conference, which is organized in collaboration with Iraqi Scientists Network (Nisa), will be held at Universities of Baghdad, Mustansiriya, Nahrein, and Technology for three days respectively,” the statement concluded.

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AAvqSnUiqAE

good... but i think this is overrated

So in the future no one will ever use books?

News

Iraq's five-year strategy aims to build new universities and research centres, as well as to revamp existing ones.

Flickr/Salam Pax

Iraq unveils plan to revamp science infrastructure
Adel Fakhir
29 November 2012
EN
[BAGHDAD] The Iraqi government plans to spend more than US$9 billion over the next five years to rebuild its scientific research infrastructure — largely damaged by the recent war — and bolster science and technology education, according to the country's minister of higher education and scientific research, Ali Al-Adeeb.

The plans involve establishing 12 universities and 28 research centres, Al-Adeeb said during the closing ceremony of Baghdad's Second Forum for Iraqi Universities last month (16 October). They also involve overhauling facilities in existing universities that have a scientific focus.

"The opening of new facilities and the renewal of old ones aims to bring the number of science and engineering students and researchers up to the rate in developed countries," he said.

Abdul Salam AlJmas, director of research and development at the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, tells SciDev.Net that the new universities will be distributed across all Iraqi provinces, and that some will specialise in science, medicine, engineering and agriculture.

AlJmas says that work is expected to begin this year, starting with the new University of Ibn Sina in Baghdad and improvements to the existing universities of Karbala and Mosul.

He says the plan includes both equipping the new universities, and renewing and updating the equipment in all Iraqi universities that specialise in science and engineering. He describes this step as "the missing link in developing the scientific research sector because Iraqi universities have not had any new equipment since the early 1980s".

According to AlJmas, the plan also includes allocating US$70 million to train research and academic staff, such as sending them abroad for up to three months for education and training.

Iraqi professor Mohamed Al-Rubeai, head of bioprocess engineering and director of the Cell Culture Engineering Research Centre at University College Dublin tells SciDev.Net that "Iraqi public universities today are experiencing a crisis because of the shortage of highly trained faculty members and researchers: those that possess vast experience and have an international reputation".

He adds that huge financial resources are needed to retrain scientists in Iraq and to offer attractive jobs to encourage expatriate Iraqi scientists to return home. This step should be prioritised over establishing the new universities because the facilities may otherwise fail to hire high-quality staff, he warns.

Nahla Mandalawi, professor of psychology at the University of Baghdad, argues that the plan "is ambitious and could help improve the scientific research sector in Iraq, but only if it is implemented".

She says that such plans should not be subject to political interference, "which is the method used today to stop and drop many development projects in Iraq".

Before the Gulf War in 2003, Iraq had 20 universities and 60 research centres. It currently has 28 and 72 respectively. By implementing the new five-year plan, Iraq will have 40 universities and 100 research centres.

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Good news!

Students, professors deplore behavior of MoHE

Added by Baghdad Iraq on November 29, 2012.
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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The students and the professors of the Iraqi universities deplored the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for forcing them to attend the international conference to develop the higher education which the Ministry held in Baghdad on Tuesday.

A source of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research reported in statement to IraqiNews.com on Wednesday ”The management staff of the conference within the ministry set controls on both students and professors and demanded their signatures to prove their presences just to fill the hall of the conference with attendants.”

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research held on Tuesday the international conference to develop higher education and scientific research in Iraq at the Hakim hall in the University of Baghdad.



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excellent news

we need this type of investment. but i hope they focus on quality, and not just numbers.

Anbar announces measures to stem violence in schools

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/2774/iraqchildrenstudents650.jpg
Iraqi children stand with their teachers in the playground of their school in Baghdad. [Khalil al-Murshidi/AFP]

2012-11-28 By Saif Ahmad in Anbar

The Anbar provincial council recently announced it has launched a campaign to stem the use of corporal punishment against students by educators at all levels.

The campaign, set to last three months, was initiated after reports reached Anbar's educational directorate indicating that the practice of beating students has spread in some of the province's schools, according to campaign supervisor Rabih al-Hizaimawi.

The campaign aims to "eliminate the use of violence [of any kind] against them and to educate instructors and school administrators to prevent any violations", Saadoun Obaid al-Shaalan, deputy chairman of the Anbar provincial council, told Mawtani.

"Supervisory committees from the education ministry have been notified to hold to account any teacher who violates the law and the relevant instructions," he said.

Al-Shaalan said he hopes the practice will soon end entirely.

"The use of violence and methods of psychological pressure on students is not allowed in schools across Iraq, and we are trying hard, with assistance from the Anbar council, the Sunni Endowment office, educational institutions and civil society organisations to prevent the spread of this practice," al-Hizaimawi said.

There is wide acceptance among teaching staff of efforts to curb student beatings, he said, and -- alongside parents, sociologists and families -- many will take part in nine upcoming seminars and conferences designed to end such practices.

TRAINING COURSES FOR STUDENTS
Training courses designed to help students avoid unintentionally provoking or antagonising teachers also will be part of the drive's efforts.

"This and other practices, such as fights between students, require serious attention and real solutions, which have been identified," said Ghannam Mahmoud, chairman of the committee for monitoring education at the Anbar council headquarters.

"Scientifically-approved steps will be adopted to prevent those practices," he said.

According to Mahmoud, "local media and civil society organisations will play a major role in the campaign's success by organising media-sponsored meetings and sessions to promote a culture of non-violence and prevent student beatings at the hands of their teachers, regardless of what mistake may have been committed."

Teachers will be encouraged to resolve such issues through "logical scientific methods that would obviate the need for escalation, or create enmity between the student and his teacher," he added.

Sheikh Kareem al-Alyawi, an Anbar tribal leader, said, "We support any project that serves the people of Iraq, and tribal sheikhs and Anbar notables are ready to sponsor intensive seminars and meetings, through tribal councils, that first provide parents with advice and also [provide students with advice] in order to halt the practice of violence."

"The teaching staff at various educational levels are mentors of generations and would never allow the spread of such a practice, which is alien to our society," he told Mawtani. "We shall provide campaign supervisors with what they need to make it successful."

Parliamentary Higher Education Committee to allocate funds for launching grants for university students

Added by Baghdad Iraq on December 2, 2012.
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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The member of the Parliamentary Higher Education Committee, Ghayda Kambash, confirmed that the Committee is forced to allocate amount of 300 million USD to launch the grants specified for the students of the universities and institutions.

She stated to IraqiNews.com “The parliament endorsed the law of the students grants so the Committee must allocate fund for these grants within the 2013 budget.”

“The issue of the final accounts of the former budgets was settled so we expect 2013 budget to be endorsed at the end of 2012,” she concluded.



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Iraqi students not up to par in Arabic calligraphy
07-12-2012 - 12:39

Iraq News

In Al Diwaniyah, an exhibition for Arabic calligraphy has been organized aiming to preserve and promote Arabic writing; therefore preserving the Arabic Language that witnessed a sort of regress in certain schools.

This exhibition was organized in order to display the calligraphic activities of Al Diwaniyah province; however the exhibition event organizer considered what was displayed not to be up to par and confirmed that both students and teachers suffer from a weakness in Arabic calligraphy. They also stressed the necessity to introduce courses to improve their calligraphy which will reflect positively on their educational level.

“It is necessary that we introduce classes to develop teachers’ t strategy, in cooperation with Al Qadisiyah University, aiming to preserve and promote Arabic calligraphy in all the schools of the province.

“We have undertaken in the education committee of Al Diwaniyah province a project aiming to preserve the Arabic language and calligraphy. We are cooperating with Al Qadisiyah University and the general directorate of education to find suitable measures to promote and develop this calligraphy since it plays a major role in the educational process”, clarified head of the education committee of the Al Diwaniyah province council, Intisar Al Musawi.

Arabic calligraphy is not only a beautiful and creative art, but it also contributes in preserving the Arabic language as a mean of human communication and a support to the psychological values offered to us throughout centuries in fields of science and literature. However, this language is not being offered enough attention in schools especially with the adoption of syllabuses based on the English language, which became a prerequisite to pursue education in many universities.
heoretical abilities, especially that the Arabic calligraphy requires specialization and differs from painting which is based on talent”, said the director of scholastic activities in the Ministry of Education.

“This phenomenon is becoming frightening and requires a solution. These solutions remain limited and forgotten. The only solution to this problem resides in submitting first grade teachers to formative sessions in Arabic calligraphy; so they can teach elementary pupils the correct basics”, noted the scholastic activity official in the education department of Al Qadisiyah, Saheb el Kuraydi.

The education committee in Al Diwaniyah confirmed that the local Government in the province had put a

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43720&Cr=education&Cr1=#.UMUMxuRX07A

9 December 2012 – United Nations agencies have welcomed the launch by the Government of Iraq of its first-ever national educational strategy, which will help to ensure quality education for the country's 33 million citizens, especially the most deprived children and youth.

Among the elements of the strategy is providing free and accessible education to children and youth from pre-school to higher education, as well as ensuring a high quality education based on global best practices, according to a joint news release issued by the UN and the Government.

It was developed by a committee of education experts and advisors within the ministries of education and higher education in Baghdad and Erbil, with international technical expertise and guidance provided by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Bank.

“We applaud the Government for its commitment to ensure all children have their right to a quality education, especially the thousands of children who are currently missing out on the timely development of the competencies, skills and opportunities that a quality education will provide them,” said Marzio Babille, UNICEF's Representative to Iraq.

“We now look forward to working so that all children complete their primary education on time and continue on to secondary school.”

The strategy aims to enhance social reintegration and cohesion as well as prevent social exclusion within Iraqi society. It calls for financial resources to be dedicated to ensure adequate educational, psychological and social support for the most marginalized individuals across Iraq.

Key educational targets in the strategy include increasing Iraq's pre-school enrolment rate from the current rate of 7 per cent, to 22 per cent by 2020, as well as the primary school enrolment rate from 93 per cent to 98 per cent by the end of 2015.

The strategy also emphasizes the importance of having quality curriculum, institutions, and resources in higher education.

“With an emphasis on improving secondary and post-secondary education, this strategy responds to Iraq's basic needs in education in the short term, while stimulating a longer-term competitive knowledge-centred economy,” said Mohamed Djelid, Director of the UNESCO Office in Iraq.

Great news but how on hell are they going to achieve that?

Scientific team at Kufa University prepares compositions able to block X-rays

Added by Baghdad Iraq on December 12, 2012.
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Najaf (IraqiNews.com) -Scientific team at the Sciences College of Kufa University managed to manufacture new compositions of polymers that have the ability to block the X-rays.

The head of the team, Amir Musa Jawda, told IraqiNews.com “The results stressed the success of some compounds in blocking the X-rays efficiently and completely,” referring to the success of the researcher, Karar Dhyab in using some industrial residues and other makeshift materials in preparing these compositions.”

He confirmed “the possibility of using those compositions in all the domains that use the X-rays for instance the hospitals, universities, airports, and factories… etc.”

Dhiab has presented the results of this study as part of the master’s paper in chemistry science.



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Literacy school for adults in Al-Nassriah

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^^ public or private school?

Public

Public

Awesome :)

Iraq, Spain Sign Agreement on Culture and Science
Posted on 05 January 2013. Tags: Spain

By John Lee.
Iraq has signed a cultural and scientific co-operation agreement with Spain, reports Al Shorfa.
Ministry of Culture spokesperson Abdel Qader al-Saadi told the news agency that a high-ranking Iraqi delegation visiting Spain signed the agreement, under which Iraqi professors and researchers will be sent to Spain to acquire experience.
Spain also will provide Iraqi universities with knowledge of the latest scientific, literary, cultural and technical developments.

New Government Initiatives to Upsurge Digital Awareness in Iraq
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ICDL GCC Foundation

Key ministries endorse ICDL to spread ICT skills among government employees, public school teachers and the general public



Dubai, UAE 6th of January, 2013 - ICDL GCC Foundation , the governing body and certification authority responsible for advocating digital skills and promoting the worldwide recognized ICDL certification programs across the GCC and Iraq, received resounding endorsements for its IT Literacy dissemination efforts with the signing of three new strategic agreements with the governments of Iraq and the Region of Kurdistan. The new collaborations in Iraq are in line with governmental and educational reforms as they aim at empowering government employees, public education teachers, and various social groups such as women, jobseeker, retirees and the disabled, with essential ICT skills.
The signing of the three key agreements took place during a recent visit by an ICDL GCC Foundation delegation to Erbil headed by ICDL GCC Director General Mr. Jamil Ezzo, to inaugurate two Teachers Certification Workshops organized in partnership with Ministry of Education in Baghdad and in support of the results accomplished under the 'ICT in Education for Iraq' project.

Education has been at the heart of economic and social development in Iraq with notable efforts to integrate ICTs in the fabric of government and learning. ICDL GCC Foundation has established partnerships with Ministries of Education (MoE) in Iraq and the Region of Kurdistan region since 2007 under the 'ICT In Education for Iraq' project introduced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESWA) in partnership with the Ministry with the collective aim to build sustainable capacity within MoE by improving ICT skills of staff, teachers and students. ICDL GCC Foundation also established a partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) three years ago where its office currently being hosted to support the implementation of the ICDL programme for thousands of university students.

Iraq creates permanent teaching positions at literacy centres
EDUCATION | 2013-01-07
The Iraqi Ministry of Education announced on Friday (January 4th) it will create 3,450 paid teaching positions at literacy centres across Iraqi provinces, where teachers used to volunteer free-of-charge.

"The positions will be spread out to all Iraqi provinces based on population size, according to instructions issued by the general secretariat of the [cabinet]," Daoud Salman Athab, General Director of Administration and Finance at the Ministry's National Commission to Fight Illiteracy, told Mawtani.

"The ministry plans to put mechanisms and guidelines in place on how to apply for these jobs, which will be released soon," Athab said.

"Preference for filling the spots will be given to the volunteers who have served as teachers at the literacy centres, while taking into consideration their scholastic averages," he added.

"The Iraqi government allocated 55 billion dinars ($47.2 million) to cover the expenses of the literacy programme this year, which will cover the payment of incentives and bonuses for the teachers and the enlisted students, and also to provide for other schooling requirements," he said.

"The overall number of students who joined literacy centres, whether or not linked to government institutions, comes to about 500,000 enrolled in 3,560 centres across Iraq," he added.

"We expect to see more people joining those centres this year because of rising desire among many to become literate," Athab told Mawtani. "We are confident in our ability to wipe out illiteracy within the next few years and declare the country free of this serious epidemic."

HONOURING TEACHER VOLUNTEERS
"The Education Ministry attaches great importance to the issue of creating jobs to all teachers volunteering at literacy centres, and strives to meet this goal in honour of the service being undertaken by these volunteers," said Commission spokesperson Yahya al-Saffah.

"The Commission constantly receives applications from graduates of Colleges of Education and Teachers Institutes who are willing to volunteer at literacy centres through the literacy sections found at education directorates and according to the geographic location chosen by the volunteer," he told Mawtani.

Non-governmental organisations estimate that the rate of illiteracy in Iraq ranges between 20% and 25% of the population, al-Saffah said.

However, Commission estimates indicate that the rate is much lower, reaching about 10%, he said, adding that "most illiterate people live in villages and rural areas where poverty plays an important role in the spread of illiteracy".

Burhan Mohammad Faraj, a member of the parliament's education committee, praised the creation of teaching positions at literacy centres, and considered it "a good step towards supporting and bolstering literacy efforts".

"Non-official indicators of illiteracy in Iraq show the existence of a large number of people who are illiterate, and therefore, it is unimaginable that there could be a developed society in which one quarter of its population cannot read or write," Faraj told Mawtani.

"It is incumbent on us to take all [the steps necessary] to overcome this challenge through allocating job positions for volunteering teachers, providing material support to people joining the illiteracy centres to encourage them to continue their education, and creating all the necessary requirements for learning," he added.

Baghdad

محافظ بغداد : إنشاء 50 مدرسة جديدة وحديثة خلال عام 2013

First one

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not bad tbh.. is it a highschool ?

Iraq VP discusses with Kuwaiti Prince UN sanctions on Iraq
22-01-2013 - 07:44

Iraq News
Iraqi Vice-President Khoudayr Al Khazaii discussed with the Kuwaiti Prince Subah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Subah the issue of ending UN Charter Chapter VII sanctions on Iraq. He also met with Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi and went through bilateral relations between the two countries as well as recent developments in the region.

Al Khazaii’s office issued a press release on the sidelines of his meeting with Kuwaiti Prince Subah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Subah at the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit held in Riyadh. The press release, of which Alsumaria got a copy, said that “the two parties discussed the lifting of Chapter Seven’s sanctions imposed on Iraq and other measures to promote bilateral relations t Summit held in Kuwait in 2009 and in Sharam El Sheikh in 2011.between the two fraternal countries”.

“Al Khazaii confirmed that Iraq is exhorting serious endeavors to solve the current crisis and challenges that the region is undergoing”, added the office.

“Al Khazaii also discussed during his meeting with Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi recent developments in the region and the possible solutions that might lead to promoting bilateral relations”, confirmed the office, highlighting that “both parties agreed that it was necessary to develop bilateral relations between the two countries and exchange expertise in addition to promoting joint Arab work especially on the economic level for the benefit of the Arab nation and the Arab people.

On the sidelines of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit held in Saudi Arabia, Al Khazaii also met with head of the Algerian Council of the Nation, Abed Al Kader Bin Saleh and discussed with him many issues of common interest and possible means to develop bilateral relations.

On Monday January 21 in the Saudi capital of Al Riyadh, the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit was launched. The Iraqi Vice-President Khoudayr Al Khazaii headed the Iraqi delegation meanwhile Foreign Affairs Minister Huchiyar Zibari the ministerial delegation. The Summit dealt with the economic and social situation in the Arab world as well as the possible means to implement the decisions taken in the 2 previous Arab Developmen

Baghdad

محافظ بغداد : إنشاء 50 مدرسة جديدة وحديثة خلال عام 2013

First one

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http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/makaay31/makaay31%20-%202/cox1_zps8ee73e8d.jpg

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500+ more please

Iraq kicks off 'Innovative Youth Competition'
EDUCATION | 2013-01-23
The Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research launched the country's first annual "Innovative Youth Competition", the ministry announced Sunday (January 20th).

The competition aims to motivate Iraqi university students, as well as young non-students, by developing their skills and potential and supporting their creative projects, ministry spokesman Qassim Mohammed told Mawtani.

Competition participants must meet several requirements, he said. The submitted project should be characterised by ingenuity and creativity; the project cannot have been previously submitted in a local or international competition; and competitors must be undergraduate students at a college or an institute, or, if they are not students, must be younger than 35 years old.

From now until the beginning of March, university media offices across Iraq will accept projects in six fields: medical, engineering, administration and economy, agricultural and veterinary, pure sciences and literary works, according to Mohammed.

Ministry officials will form a committee for each category, and each committee will include three professors who will study the submitted projects and choose the winners, whose names will be announced at a large festival scheduled for April, he said.

The ministry has allocated almost 50 million dinars ($43,000) in cash prizes for three winners in each category, he said, with five million dinars ($4,300) going to the first place winner, two million to the second ($1,720) and one million ($860) to the third.

"On top of these prizes, the ministry will sponsor and market the winning inventions, as well as support inventors by giving them priority [when they apply for] scholastic grants and scholarships," Mohammed said.

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY
According to Ihsan al-Quraishi, president of al-Qadissiya University, the ministry organises competitions every year for researchers, professors, and teaching and administrative staff.

Through the new competition, the ministry aims to reinforce and boost the invention process by including students and young people, encouraging them to conduct research and come up with ingenious "ideas that will ultimately serve the country", he said.

It is important that state institutions and offices take advantage of these research projects and innovative studies, particularly in fields like industry and agriculture, as they help strengthen national development, and give inventors confidence and further incentive to continue contributing, al-Quraishi said.

Al-Qadissiya University has adopted the slogan, "The University in the service of the province", and presented about 60 creative research projects that aim to develop al-Qadissiya province, he said, adding that the university shoulders responsibility as an active party in the province's growth and development.

We must "increase the cash rewards offered to winners, as well as offer all kinds of support and the necessary facilities" so imagined projects can become reality, he said.

Meanwhile, Riyadh al-Zaidi, a member of the parliamentary committee on higher education, also welcomed the ministry's sponsorship of the competition.

"It is one of the important steps our committee had been calling on the ministry to take: investing young Iraqi creativity in the path of building, reconstruction and progress," he told Mawtani.

"Today, we badly need the creative talent of youth because it is an engine and catalyst for any civilised development," he said. "This requires that we continue to work to support and encourage young talents and creative minds, giving them the opportunity to participate in the country’s future."

Texas Tech Helps Provide Education to Iraq Students

By: Meredith Hillgartner
Updated: January 29, 2013




"They had been through decades of war with very little attention paid to educating the next generation of scientists to come up through the system," Chesser said.

Dr. Ron Chesser is talking about the people of Iraq.

"It took several years of negotiation to put a good package together," Chesser said. "[Something] that was acceptable to the United States as well as to the government of Iraq."

Now he and Texas Tech are making it possible for Iraqi students to gain an education here in Lubbock.

"The offer was full scholarships to four outstanding students to work in some discipline of science," Chesser said. "To become indoctrinated with the scientific techniques and teaching abilities and then to return to Iraq and help build the curriculum in the institutions."

Iraq's Minister of Education wanted to match the gift Texas Tech gave, so the Iraq government will pay to send a few undergraduate students and teachers to study at Tech.

"They wanted to also augment this at their expense by sending faculty and graduate students here," Chesser said. "So that they could become familiar with the latest scientific methods and teaching methods."

Chesser was given the idea after visiting the country in 2005 as part of a team elected to help dismantle Iraq's former nuclear facilities.

"Our work there in Iraq since 2005 has given us a good reputation with the administrative bases and with the government offices," Chesser said. "We're hoping that that will filter out into the educational system there."

Chesser said he hopes these students can help teach Texas Tech and Lubbock a little about the rest of the world.

"Bringing in students from Iraq not only enriches us culturally by learning more about the countries around the world," Chesser said. "But it does bring in unique types of teaching opportunities."

The students eligible for the scholarships are experts in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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Iraqi students to receive stipends in 2013
2013-01-31
The Iraqi parliament on Thursday (January 31st) approved a draft resolution to grant Iraqi university students regular monthly stipends as part of the 2013 federal budget.

The legislation, approved by a majority of the parliament, will enter into force once the country's general budget has been approved, parliamentary education committee chairman Abed Thiyab al-Ajeely told Al-Shorfa.

It will grant about $400 million each year to university students, students of diploma-granting institutes and master's and doctorate students in the form of a monthly payment, al-Ajeely said.

"The resolution is part of a general trend in the country to encourage students to complete their university studies," he said.

The amount students receive will be determined based on the student's place of residence, the family's financial position and the cost of their university studies, he said.

Iraq to build 1,300 schools across the country
2013-02-02
The Iraqi government on Saturday (February 2nd) announced that it launched a large-scale project to construct 1,300 primary and secondary schools across the country for young Iraqis.

"The project is part of a larger project to build 3,000 schools before 2015 due to the rise in student numbers in the country," said Ali al-Musawi, media advisor to the Iraqi government.

The project is slated to cost 320 billion dinars ($275 million) and the schools -- which are to be built in Baghdad, Anbar, Babil, Najaf, Wasit, Basra, Diwaniya, Kirkuk and al-Muthanna under the supervision of the industry and construction ministries -- are expected to be completed within nine months, he said.

hmmm. 1300 schools for $275M ??

the cheapest "countryside" school I've seen gone to bid for $900k (and that was a war crime of a school). most humane schools cost in the range of $5M-$7M each.

what are they building exactly? lagos shacks?

hmmm. 1300 schools for $275M ??

the cheapest "countryside" school I've seen gone to bid for $900k (and that was a war crime of a school). most humane schools cost in the range of $5M-$7M each.

what are they building exactly? lagos shacks?

Don't know I'm sick and tired of these incompetent politicians. If we calculate it a school will approximately cost $ 200k :D

what saddens me most is that the government makes these completely stupid announcements... and the iraqi street / media / populace does not even react with a simple question like the one above...

what saddens me most is that the government makes these completely stupid announcements... and the iraqi street / media / populace does not even react with a simple question like the one above...

To be honest I wouldn't ask that question above either :(

Baghdad university conclude convention with Germany Co.

Added by Baghdad Iraq on February 10, 2013.
Saved under Featured



Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The University of Baghdad signed an agreement with the Germany company (KNAUF) to establish a training center for the dry building technology at Baghdad University.The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research mentioned in statement received by IraqiNews.com ”The convention, which was signed by the chairman of Baghdad University, Alaa Abdul Hussein, and Isabel Korni, representative of the Germany company, requires the German company to build an educational center specialized in teaching dry building technology.””The project aims at providing jobs for Iraqi young poeple and to expand the marketing arena of Iraqi productions as well as to train the teaching staff and students of the engineering colleges,” the statement added.



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Diyala aims to build, rehabilitate 150 schools
EDUCATION | 2013-02-14
The Diyala education directorate announced last week that it will launch a plan to build or rehabilitate 105 school buildings across the Iraqi province, at a cost of 104 billion dinars ($89.3 million).

The plan aims to solve the province's chronic shortage of suitable facilities, officials said.

The funds would go towards constructing 89 school buildings, demolishing then rebuilding 16 other schools, creating 40 laboratories and two kindergartens, and renovating a number of older schools, Diyala education director Jaafar al-Zarkoushi told Mawtani.

"We have a serious shortage of school buildings, and we are now waiting for the approval of the national budget to launch the plan," which will cover all provincial districts according to population density, al-Zarkoushi said.

The plan will likely not be completed this year, as the Iraqi Ministry of Education only allocated the Directorate 41 billion dinars ($35.2 million) for 2013.

Difficulty in finding suitable land also hampers the effort to increase classroom space, according to Hussein al-Qaisi, a member of the Diyala provincial council.

"The majority of Diyala's districts are made of villages and agricultural areas, which means the land is owned by the residents," he told Mawtani.

Still, many residents are allowing use of parcels of their private land for schools, health centres or water treatment plants, due to the growing number of families that need these services and infrastructure, he said.

Al-Qaisi said he expects the shortage of school buildings will be resolved within the next few years.

In previous years, Diyala witnessed a rash of terrorist activities at the hands of al-Qaeda, which destroyed much of the province's infrastructure, including schools, which were often the target of sabotage, officials said.

"It was not possible for the province to start rebuilding and constructing in past years because of the presence of organisations like al-Qaeda, which sought to assassinate project supervisors and engineers," Sheikh Nasser al-Ameri, a member of the support council of Diyala sheikhs, told Mawtani.

"We sympathise with the citizens in our province, and know very well that many children have to endure the hardship of going long distances to reach their schools, because they are far from their homes, on top of the problem of double occupancy of school buildings," he said.

"Through our ties with government officials, we explained this hardship and were given a promise that a number of school buildings would be built to meet the province's need," he said.

Hafiz Shaheen, who lives in al-Sabaa village, Buhriz district, welcomed the new plan.

"Every day, I take my children to school, covering a long distance because it is far from our village," he told Mawtani. "At the province's educational office, we were told the village is listed in the plan for school construction as soon as the budget is allocated."

The new plan "will improve my sons' education, especially since we endure a lot due to double occupancy and the high number of students in each classroom", he said.


I suppose the amount of money is sufficient since its only a renovation of school? It's barely $ 1 million dollars.

what is the problem with "space"?? all their schools are either single floor or 2 floors max. they can add another 2 floors in a steel structure on top (the first floors are all reinforced concrete) without needing any more land.

KALAMAZOO, MI – The relationship between the United States and Iraq — marked for years by armed conflict — is slowly rebuilding, and so is the higher education system in Iraq.
Stronger academic relations between the two countries will help both efforts, say Western Michigan University officials, who have been partnering with the Iraqi government for the past five years.

Even before U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, students have been making their way here thanks to an Iraqi government program that offers scholarships to highly qualified individuals.

"WMU is partnering with the government of Iraq to basically rebuild their country, and we're doing it from here – from Kalamazoo," said Juan Tavares, director of international admissions at WMU.

The first contingent of Iraqi students arrived at WMU in 2008, but it wasn't until this past fall, October 2012, that university officials made their first trip to Iraq to actively recruit.

Tavares and physics professor Emanuel Kamber, a native of Iraq, visited the International School of Chouiefat, a high school located in Erbil, which is in the north of Iraq in the Kurdistan region, to recruit graduate students at a college fair. They also visited Baghdad.

"It was very safe. We met with a lot of students and families and were treated well by government officials," said Tavares. "There were five other American universities there, and hopefully we'll be back next year."

The recruiting trip came months after Ali al-Adeeb, Iraq's minister of higher education, told U.S. state department officials that "no country can get out of the suffering and backwardness without the development of higher education," according to USA Today. In 2011, the Iraqi government pledged to send 10,000 students to study in the United States.

“Iraq from an educational perspective; it’s the ancient base of civilization,” said Tavares. “The Iraqi universities from the 1950s - 1970s were outstanding institutions but then you had the wars. The Iraqis are just as smart and now they have peace, where they are able to build a higher education system again. They are making a huge investment because they have a lot of oil money and are trying to get individuals with Ph.D. and master’s degrees to come back and teach.”

The Iraqi government has three scholarship programs for highly qualified students said Bassam Harik, the interim vice provost of WMU's Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

From the October recruiting trip, Tavares brought back 200 applications from Iraqi graduate students, mostly looking to study engineering and computer science. Harik said he expects only a small number of the applicants to be admitted due to the various screening processes and competition with other high research universities.

There were 27 Iraqi students attending WMU in fall 2012, and 12 new students arrived in Kalamazoo in January, Tavares said. The growth in Iraqi students follows suit with WMU's international enrollment trends, which grew by 12.9 percent from last year, raising the total number of international students to 1,575.
WMU is responsible for evaluating the academic credentials for students, and the government is responsible for screening individuals for student visa and funding evidence. At the graduate level, WMU asks that individual departments decide which credentials are admissible for international students.

Related stories

Iraqi family in Kalamazoo risks it all for education; father may lose scholarship to WMU

Part 2: Iraqi family in Kalamazoo share struggles with terrorism

Part 3: Iraqi family in Kalamazoo prepares to separate for better education

The recruiting trip to Iraq cost about $30,650. The university spent a total of $207,645 on recruiting trips to foreign countries in the 2011-12 academic year, according to Samer Shammas, the operations manager of WMU's Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

When asked if the university is concerned about any cultural aggression that may exist between Americans and Iraqis – or any two conflicting countries for that matter – both officials said education is a solution.


“It provides an opportunity for both the visitor and domestic students to interact,” said Harik. “Open dialogue in various areas only happens when you have one-on-one interaction. We know something about a part of the world based on news headlines but when we are closer and talking to individuals – when you are talking to a real person, it makes a difference. We hope this bridges any gaps that exist on both sides.”

why are they spending 100K per year on our brightest students to attend unheard-off universities like Western Michigan University (WMU)? I had to google WMU to figure it out ..

and where the hell is Kalamazoo ! I sounds like a made up name :lol:

why don't they send them to a good unis like the University of Michigan ?

My dad graduated from Michigan..

why are they spending 100K per year on our brightest students to attend unheard-off universities like Western Michigan University (WMU)? I had to google WMU to figure it out ..

and where the hell is Kalamazoo ! I sounds like a made up name :lol:

why don't they send them to a good unis like the University of Michigan ?

I strongly think that it depends on the teacher and the students himself than which university the students are going to study in.

My dad graduated from Michigan..

you mean WMU or UoM ?

you mean WMU or UoM ?

No, just from Michigan state I mean..he went to Lawrence tech university, graduated as a civil engineer.

I strongly think that it depends on the teacher and the students himself than the which university the students are going to study in.

totally agree.

however, you cant deny that best academics are generally in recognised universities..

i'm not in anyway suggesting they should only focus on the top 20 universities in the world or something like that.. that's just silly and stupid

but they should at least send them to a uni in the top 200 .. we are paying huge money for our smartest students to study.. they deserve to go to good universities ! otherwise it's a scam !

unless someone here can correct me .. i haven't heard anyone mentioning WMU for anything

No, just from Michigan state I mean..he went to Lawrence tech university, graduated as a civil engineer.

michigan state is great !

well recognised university.. but WMU ?

michigan state is great !

well recognised university.. but WMU ?

A little confusion here lol...he did not go to WMU or UoM, he went to Lawrence Technological University.

oh sorry :P

did you edit your top post, i swear i read MSU ... nvm i normally feel stupid around midnight

well Lawrence Technological University is a private (engineering focused) university, perhaps a good option for civil engineering I don't know much about it tbh

oh sorry :P

did you edit your top post, i swear i read MSU ... nvm i normally feel stupid around midnight

well Lawrence Technological University is a private (engineering focused) university, perhaps a good option for civil engineering I don't know much about it tbh

haha no worries..I didn't edit my earlier posts lol..and yes, it's one of the top engineering unis in 'merica. :D

oh sorry :P

did you edit your top post, i swear i read MSU ... nvm i normally feel stupid around midnight

well Lawrence Technological University is a private (engineering focused) university, perhaps a good option for civil engineering I don't know much about it tbh

You sure just midnight???

You sure just midnight???

akkhhhh ! aya kalb :D having a go at me bro ?

mu 3ablana inta 7abab ..

yalla mekhalif, i'm glad that you did, now i have an excuse to try to bully you :D

^^ or may be give him a good old infraction

Spanking will also do... just saying :D

^^ noo i think he would enjoy that :D

IQD 70 billion allocated for literacy project, says MP

Added by Baghdad Iraq on February 24, 2013.
Saved under Featured



Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) -The Education Parliamentary Committee announced allocating more than IQD (70) billion of the 2013 Federal Budget for literacy project.Member of the Parliamentary Committee, Reyadh Ghali, reported in statement to IraqiNews.com ”Huge funds were allocated from the 2013 Federal Budget to the education sector to establish (6000) schools and about IQD (70) billion for literacy project.””The students of the literacy schools will receive daily wages of about IQD (10,000),” he added.The education level in Iraq has retreated since 2003 since Iraq was almost empty of literacy. \



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Anbar projects aim to bolster education
Anbar province in the past few years witnessed several positive educational developments, according to Ibtissam Mohammed Darub, chairwoman of the education committee on the Anbar provincial council.

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Darub attributed such improvements to the stability of the province's security situation, which the Iraqi army, police and tribesmen helped cultivate.

She spoke with Mawtani about Anbar's latest projects, including establishing new educational centres and institutes, stocking existing facilities with modern aids and supplies, and monitoring teacher performance at schools across the province.

Mawtani: How would you evaluate the state of schooling and education in Anbar province?

Ibtissam Mohammed Darub: In previous years, Anbar witnessed terrorist operations, but thanks to the efforts of the Iraqi army and police, along with tribal support and the stable security situation [they all helped create], Anbar started to recuperate by launching projects, and providing advanced services in various fields, including education and higher learning.

The state of education and schooling in Anbar is good, across all educational levels. Textbooks are available, teaching staff is receiving training, model school buildings have been built across the province, shortages in teaching tools are being addressed, and there are advanced learning centres and institutes currently under construction.

Mawtani: What were the most prominent educational projects completed in Anbar?

Darub: The most prominent accomplishment involved building 48 elementary schools, 31 middle and secondary schools, 27 preparatory schools, including nine model schools, and 14 educational institutes to train teachers and nurses.

We also rehabilitated more than 42 school buildings with support from the Iraqi Education Ministry. Rehabilitation work included expanding buildings in each school, and adding administrative and other educational facilities and services, such as meeting halls and laboratories, as well as furnishing offices and training and examination halls and stocking them with modern aids and supplies.

These projects were carried out across the cities of Anbar during 2012 as part of the region's development projects and by way of funds allotted for Anbar.

Mawtani: What is the most prominent of the projects you introduced?

Darub: We built an advanced research centre for the secondary and preparatory school levels so the students have a facility where they can submit various studies and projects that require government backing. [This enables them] to develop and record their projects, and to ensure their legal rights as inventors, whether they are students or teachers.

Also, we built an institute for fine arts in Anbar, and a student theatre forum for all levels, and there are studies under way on opening other centres in Anbar this year.

In addition, we opened a centre to follow-up and evaluate the work of private schools, so we could monitor their scholastic levels, and what curricula and required learning materials they give their students.

Mawtani: How many students passed last year in Anbar?

Darub: Passage rates were good because of the curriculum, textbooks, school supplies and extensive expertise of teaching staff at all levels. Also, the educational supervision section constantly followed up on schools, with repeated visits to monitor educators' ability to teach modern subjects, in a clear manner.

Passage rates for the current mid-year period are good too, with a 73% rate recorded for the elementary level, 81% for the secondary level and 76% for the preparatory level. This is evidence of major progress accomplished in the field of education and learning. We continue to work to achieve higher rates this year, and to resolve problems facing students and teachers in Anbar.

Iraqi school dropouts return to school
2013-02-27
Most students who dropped out of school in past years due to terrorist operations have returned to school, the Iraqi government said Wednesday (February 27th).

"The plan the Iraqi government launched in co-operation with UNICEF succeeded in bringing back 95% of male and female students who left school in past years due to terrorist operations and threats from terrorist groups in several areas across the country," said Ali al-Musawi, media advisor to the Iraqi government.

Some 470,000 students under the age of 18 have returned to school since September, he said.

"Most of the returning students live in areas that have until recently been described as 'hot areas,' which witnessed several terrorist attacks," he said, noting that the police and army have now managed to establish security in these areas.

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^^ shouldn't that be in the health thread ?

Iran, Iraq Universities Ink Agreement to Broaden Cooperation


2013-04-06

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Amir Kabir Industrial University signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with four Iraqi universities to launch cooperation in various scientific and educational fields.

The MoU was signed between Amir Kabir university and the universities of Basra, Kufa, Karbala and Babylon during a visit to Iraq by Amir Kabir University Chancellor Alireza Rahayee and a number of faculty officials and section chiefs.

Speaking to reporters, Amir Kabir University's Director for International Affairs Seyed Mostafa Safavi said that the agreement was amid at promoting scientific and research cooperation between the Iranian and Iraqi universities.

"Based on the MoU, students and professors from Basra, Kufa, Karbala and Babylon will visit Amir Kabir University to see its capabilities in different scientific and educational fields," he noted.

Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during the 2003 US invasion of the Muslim country.

مدرسة الامامين النموذجية في العطيفية

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l-e6NjOKBEg

Iraq recognises scholars for scientific achievement
EDUCATION | 2013-05-14
The Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education honoured 35 scholars on Iraqi Science Day (May 2nd), awarding them the Medal of Scientific Achievement in recognition of their pioneering contributions in the field of research.
Former Minister of Education Sami Abdul Mahdi and noted architect Zaha Hadid were among those recognised during a ceremony in Baghdad hosted by the ministry, with the late educator Hussein Ali Mahfoudh among those who received posthumous honours.
The initiative was the first of its kind for the ministry, officials told Mawtani.
In addition to the science award recipients, "about 223 academics, distinguished students and authors of works and innovative research were honoured, as well as the most competent academic institutions", said the ministry's general director of research and development Mohammed al-Sarraj.
Recognition was based on 17 categories adopted by a committee of referees from the directorate, he told Mawtani. These categories included the most distinguished president of a university, the top professor, scientifically outstanding professors and the winners of patents for their various inventions.
There were additional categories for teaching staff who had published research papers in international scientific magazines, outstanding postgraduate students, the top research project by final-year students and the best authored or translated book, al-Sarraj said.
The panel, which included 34 experts in the sciences and the humanities, started its work last July, making its selections using advanced evaluation programmes based on regionally- and internationally-adopted standards, he said.
In November 2013, the directorate intends to honour 18 Iraqi researchers in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology and the environment, al-Sarraj said, in addition to choosing three outstanding scientific research papers in reputable, internationally-recognised journals.
SCHOLARS HAVE RAISED IRAQ'S PROFILE
Ministry of Higher Education spokesman Qassim Mohammed told Mawtani that through the establishment of the Medal of Scientific Achievement for Scholars, the ministry sought to express its gratitude for what this group has contributed to society.
These scientific contributions have contributed to the worldwide development of knowledge, he said, in addition to raising the country's profile internationally and supporting scientific, cultural and ideological progress in Iraq.
The ministry intends to increase the number of its awards to boost a spirit of competition among teaching and research staffs and academic institutions to create environments that strive for excellence and motivate creativity, he said.
"Some of the scientific achievement medals were given to scholars who are outside educational institutions," said Riyadh al-Zaidi, a member of the Iraqi parliament's higher education committee.
This "was an important step that reflected the ministry's appreciation of these scholars' roles in serving society, and the addition of their scientific innovations and knowledge to humanitarian achievements," he told Mawtani.
"We at the higher education committee congratulate the ministry on this action, and reaffirm our support of any step that honours the contributions of all our scholars, researchers and students," he said.

Schools try to play catch-up

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3959/downloadie.jpg
Photo: Afif Sarhan/IRIN

BAGHDAD/DUBAI, 26 April 2013 (IRIN) - Thanks to growing oil revenues in the 1970s, Iraq had, by the early 1980s, developed a generous public services system. It was seen to have the best education system in the region, with near-universal primary school enrolment and an effective literacy programme.

Had Iraq progressed at the same rate as other Middle Eastern countries, primary school enrolment for both boys and girls would be 100 percent today, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Instead, Iraq’s education system is largely playing catch-up.

Its downfall began with the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, and the Gulf War of 1991. It was exacerbated by the squeeze on resources caused by a decade of international sanctions throughout the 1990s, which resulted in lower teacher salaries, higher turnover, fewer qualified teachers, less professional development, neglected infrastructure and reduced access to resources like periodicals, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Government statistics show a 10 percent drop in primary school enrolment rates, from 90.8 in 1990 to 80.3 in 2000. Enrolment in Iraq’s vocational and technical schools dropped by half in the same decade.

Following the US-led invasion of 2003, UNESCO reported widespread arson and looting of educational facilities, with vocational schools, for example, losing 80 percent of their equipment, according to the Ministry of Education. A 2003 assessment by the UN found that looting had affected 3,000 schools. Teacher training institutes were affected in all but the northern Kurdish governorates; libraries and colleges were looted and burned, UNESCO said.

Brain drain

De-Baathification - the occupying forces’ policy of removing from office all officials belonging to the deposed leader’s Baath party - furthered the educational decline by triggering a brain drain in universities, it added.

“Emerging evidence indicates that the third war in three decades - the US-led invasion from 2003 to 2010 - has left behind a dilapidated education system affected by safety concerns, rising costs, and acute shortages of teachers and learning materials,” the University of Pittsburgh’s M. Najeeb Shafiq wrote in a 2012 article in the International Journal of Educational Development.

In the four years following the invasion, at least 280 academics were killed by insurgents and militias, IRIN report in 2007, leaving Iraq without a strong, educated elite to help the country - and the education system - recover.

“We used to have all [sorts of] qualified people that build the country and organize the system in all fields,” said Hassan al-Hamadani, a member of parliament. “Now most of those people have left the country; many doctors and engineers have left as they were threatened.”

Enrolment, attainment

The impact of the 2003 invasion on enrolment rates, specifically, is less clear because statistics are inconsistent.

Some, like those in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), conducted by the government and UNICEF, show an increase in net enrolment of children aged 6 to 11, from 68.2 percent in 2000 to 85.8 in 2006. Other statistics show the opposite: a massive drop from 93 percent enrolment in 2000 to 54 percent in 2006. Statistics in Iraq in general are widely viewed as unreliable, and those on enrolment differ based on children’s age groups and whether they are measuring net enrolment (the percentage of children of official primary school age who are enrolled in primary school) or gross enrolment (the percentage of children of any age who are enrolled in primary school).

What appears clear, however, is that Iraq is not as far ahead as it could have been. The 2011 MICS produced a net enrolment rate of 90.4 percent (among those 6 to 11 years old), just under the government’s 1990 rate of 90.8. Yet one in seven secondary-school-age children is studying at the primary level. Only 44 percent of students complete primary school on time.

And while secondary school enrolment has increased in recent years, according to the MICS, less than half of students continue past grade 6. In 2007, a joint World Bank and government survey found five million school-age children out of school.

“Enrolment is not the same as attainment,” said Sudipto Mukerjee, deputy head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq. “Getting them to school is easy, but getting them to complete their studies is more difficult.”

In addition, enrolment rates vary significantly based on gender, social status and geographic region. And while the quality of the textbooks has improved in the past decade, and there is no longer pressure on students to join the Baath party, some degree of sectarianism and corruption has found its way into the school system since 2003, said Ali al-Hussaini, a high-school student in Baghdad.

“Sometimes a teacher makes fun of Sunnis and some other teacher makes fun of Shiites,” al-Hussaini said. “Now, all the teachers are corrupt. If I want to pass in the exams, I have to pay money - $200 for each class. Otherwise, they will make it impossible to pass.”

Literacy

Like primary education, literacy was an important focus in Iraq decades ago. In 1978, the government launched the Comprehensive National Campaign for the Compulsory Eradication of Illiteracy, but that campaign slowed after the wars of the 1980s and 1990s.

Statistics on the adult literacy rate also vary widely: UNESCO notes an increase from 74.1 percent in 2000 to 78.2 percent in 2010, but a 2010-2015 strategy document points to evidence suggesting that “Iraq faces a critical situation with increasing numbers of out-of-school children and rising adult illiteracy rates, especially in the rural areas, among youth and adults, and among women and other socially marginalized groups.”

A literacy campaign launched in 2010, Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), and a new literacy law approved in 2011 are likely to improve the rates further.