Iraq is heading towards darkness, unless investment in education increases

Economic security and prosperity of Iraq as a nation greatly depends on investment in the education sector of Iraq. The price of investment in education sector is high though lack of investment can destroy future of the nation.

The ministry of education of Iraq has released “The Cost and Benefits of Education in Iraq” a UNICEF-supported report. It says that Iraq lost almost US$1 billion in unrealized wages from school dropouts from the 2014-2015 school year.

The future of Iraqi children is in great disperse, as lack of investment is a big time issue. Around 3.5 million school-aged Iraqi children do not get the opportunity to go to school. This also increases risks of early marriage, child labor, recruitment in armed groups, etc.
Half of all school buildings in Iraq need urgent repairs. Children are dropping out of school while others are repeating grades.

UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Geert Cappelaere, stated, “Children in Iraq are suffering from protracted periods of conflict. Without equitable access to quality education, children are at risk: we are talking about losing a generation of children.”
He also noted, “Investing in education is meeting a fundamental human right for every boy and girl, and is essential for a country’s development and is the best possible medicine against extremism.”

An accompanying UNICEF-supported report on “Child Poverty in Iraq” shows that one in five poor children who dropped out before completing primary school did so for economic reasons. Ongoing conflict and displacement in Iraq has hit children the hardest. Poverty affects almost 40 per cent of displaced families. Nearly half of internally displaced children in Iraq are out of school. In areas heavily affected by violence, more than 90% of children are not in school.
Cappelaere said, “All of Iraq’s children should have the resources they need to fulfill their educational potential, whether that means new classrooms, accelerated learning programmers, motivated teachers or school materials.”
In 2017, US$32 million was appealed by UNICEF for its programs to support education industry in Iraq. However, UNICEF has obtained half of its required funding till now.