IRAQ | Education Sector

[Ali - Iraq]

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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[Chounz]

Good news!

[Ali - Iraq]

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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[BigDreamer]

excellent news

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

[Sinjar]

Anbar announces measures to stem violence in schools


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."

[Ali - Iraq]

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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[Ali - Iraq]

[Ali - Iraq]

PROGRAMSNEWSGRIDHoroscopes
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

[sheytanElKebir]

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.as...=#.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.

[Ali - Iraq]

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

[Ali - Iraq]

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.



Read more: http://www.iraqinews.com/features/sc...#ixzz2EqAi9tSS
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[Ali - Iraq]

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[MKTJ]

Literacy school for adults in Al-Nassriah

[makaay31]

[Ishtarporten]

public or private school?

[makaay31]

Public

[Ishtarporten]

Originally Posted by makaay31

Public

Awesome

[Ali - Iraq]

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.

[Ali - Iraq]

New Government Initiatives to Upsurge Digital Awareness in Iraq
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IN THIS ARTICLE
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.

[Ali - Iraq]

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.