Iraq's school dropout rate has reached its lowest level in about 10 years as a result of successful co-operation with the UN, the Ministry of Education said Thursday (October 3rd).
"The dropout rate was 4% at the start of the new school year, which started September 18th, after it reached record levels of about 20% in the last four years," Minister of Education Mohammed Tamim told Al-Shorfa.
The dropout rate is expected to continue to decrease in villages and rural areas, he said, attributing the decline to the security forces' restoration of order and expulsion of armed groups from such areas, the construction of new schools and increased public awareness about the importance of education.
The government also is working on a programme that seeks to encourage children to come to school through monthly grants and a daily food basket, Tamim said.