The fourth of October, which marks the beginning of the new academic year in Iraq, will see hundreds of thousands of Iraqi students at primary and high schools and universities go back to school amid a climate of worry and, at the same time, optimism.

Many are concerned that the escalation of looting, kidnapping and theft that mushroomed as a result of the lack of security, law and order under the rule of the US occupation will increase Iraqis’ fears and worries, which were heightened by last week’s bomb blast that shook the Al-Hariri High School for girls in the Al-Azamiya area. The diffusion of another bomb in one of the departments at the Al-Mansour College in the Al-Andalus area did little to diffuse Iraqis’ concerns.

Others are optimistic about what they term “the bright future” of the educational process in Iraq after the lifting of sanctions and the removal of an autocratic regime that controlled everything in Iraq and imposed school curricula that were not in keeping with the development of science and human culture - curricula that focused on ‘the single hero’ concept, idolizing the hero and glorifying his feats and acts of war.

Iraqi Schools Expelling 'Beloved Saddam'

In an interview IslamOnline conducted with Ali Al-Hmeri, principal of the Al-Waleed Preparatory School, he said, “In the past years, schools in Iraq, particularly elementary, preparatory and secondary schools, were badly neglected - allegedly because of sanctions. Basic school requirements were not met: there was a tremendous shortage of tables, blackboards, laboratories, teaching equipment and sports facilities. The previous regime increased the parents’ burden by forcing them to bear the costs of school maintenance, and parents were required to contribute towards fixing classroom doors, replacing broken windows, purchasing light bulbs, etc.”

It is interesting to note that one of the first actions that the US coalition forces took after they occupied Iraq was to embark on a massive campaign to maintain school buildings; they commissioned Iraqi contractors to do the necessary school renovations within a short period.

Sami Al-Rabi’i, director of planing at Al-Rasafa Education Directorate said, “The most significant action taken by the occupying force was to increase the salaries of teachers and university professors, which jumped to more than 10 times the salaries earned during Saddam’s rule. Teachers who used to earn the equivalent of five dollars per month now earn $180 US. This has improved the living conditions of educators, who were impoverished and deprived. A few days ago, the Ministry of Education announced that it would adequately provide students with sufficient notebooks, pens and other school supplies; thus students would no longer be required to purchase these items from local markets the way they did before the occupation.”

Ayman Al-Bahili, PhD, researcher at Al-Mustansiriya University Research Centre, said, “In an attempt to demonstrate its desire to uplift educators and win them over, the occupation authority has actually increased their salaries. This increase is not a grant given to educators by the US administration: at the end of the day, it is part of Iraqi funds; it is a propagandistic tool used to improve the image of the occupation, which is no longer welcome in Iraq. The danger lies in the concepts and ideas that the occupation intends to include in new school curricula to promote its own interests.”

Bahjat Al-Awqati, PhD, professor at the Al-Rafidain University, said, “The problem that a large number of students at various faculties and institutes still face is high tuition fees, which doubled this year. These fees, a heavy burden that most students can not bear, have stirred up many reactions in the press and other media.”

Mrs. Batool Al-Jaza`iri, vice-principal of the Ibn Majed Preparatory School, said, “The real problem that worries thousands of teachers these days is the decision made by the Iraqi Governing Council and the US administration to dismiss leading members of the Baath Party even if they have not committed any crime. This has resulted in a major crisis given the fact that this decision has affected tens of thousands of teachers and highly specialized university professors and has had a tragic impact on the lives of hundreds of families.”

Abdul Jabbar Al-Hakim, a journalist, said, “Given the US control of all aspects of Iraqi life, including education, the current situation in Iraq forebodes dangerous consequences: school curricula will be set to serve the interests of US imperialism; everything that solidifies students’ sense of patriotism or strengthens their affection for their religion will be omitted from the curricula. Today, it is no longer surprising to hear that many individuals advocate naturalization of relations with the Zionist entity or oppose nationalistic notions, Arabism, and Islam. Introducing these changes in school curricula is the real motive behind the occupation forces’ interest in schools and education not only in Iraq but also in all Arab and Muslim countries.”

Muhammad Hasan Ziab, general director at the Ministry of Education, said, “The vital challenge that currently faces the educational process is the introduction of drastic changes to school curricula. The previous regime had politicized curricula at all educational levels, including primary schools. Committees specialized in various sciences have been formulated to introduce curricula changes that are consistent with the development of these sciences. These committees would omit all that focuses on the concept of ‘a leader whose rule is dictated by necessity’ and glorifies the individual, remove Baathist ideas and concepts, which pervaded all curricula, and do away with materials that incite enmity between Arabs and Persians and interpret historical events through chauvinistic or narrow minded, racial perspectives.”