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Iraqis Insist On Resuming Education
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U.S. occupation troops at an Iraqi primary school
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By
Imam El-lathy, IOL Baghdad Correspondent
BAGHDAD,
May 5 (IslamOnline.net) - Many officials in the Iraqi universities
insist on resuming education despite total paralysis due to occupation
and looting of educational institutions. With the absence of security
and the occupation’s attempts to mess with curricula, precautious
measures have been taken.
Mrs.
Nawal, manager of Logs and records in the Faculty of Arts, Mostansirya
University, emphasized that she supervised the downloading of records
on magnetic CDs, preserving 90% of the students grades in the first
half of this year.
“We
will start our work on May 17, although we lack transportation means
and the climate is not appropriate" Maged Alfragy , professor in
the Faculty of Science, Baghdad University, said, adding, "we
will come on foot if we have to, we can't risk a whole Iraqi
generation losing their chance to national education”.
“The
most serious problem facing efforts to resume classes is the status
after looting and sacking," Ismael Imad , staff teacher of the
Faculty of Arts, Mostansirya university weighed in.
He
pointed out that "looters stole the seats and conditioners,
meaning professors and students will have to practice their job under
temperatures that may exceed 50”.
“I
panic whenever I come to the Faculty buildings" Fatma , an
accountant, Mostansirya university, said. "It is true that a
Faculty Professor donated salaries to security guards to get them back
to work, but any person can enter the colleague unstopped”.
Pessimism
Adnan
Alkhafagy, professor of Computer Science, Baghdad university was more
pessimistic as he said they have a lot of problems as all computers
have been stolen and laps have been looted.
“It
is impossible to continue study with out the practical part, I don't
know how can we resume classes and make exams in the second part of
the year."
The
same problem was raised by Galil Ibraheem El taey, the manager of
professional education department in Ma'mon school, as he stressed
that looters destroyed machines as they removed their motors, making
them improper to use for training.
“lacking
tools and machines will stop work in technical schools which depend on
the practical study," he added.
As
for the curricula, all indicators say that the only subject which is
going to be changed is the one called "national culture" as
it concerned with the promotion of Ba'ath party.
"
Schools already sopped teaching this subject," professor Imad
Ismael said.
American
Curricula In Iraq
Imad
added, "we are not afraid of Sadaam's curricula, but of the
American ones which will be applied next year. Iraqis expect the
Americans to mess with the educational Iraqi curricula".
"We
don't know anything about the education committee, which they are
talking about, we fear that committee would work on behalf of the
Americans and not our kids" he added.
A
group of the International Creative Association based on the U.S. have
won on April 11 a primary contract worth a million dollar to improve
the education system in Iraq.
The
group declared Thursday, May 1 that its contract include providing
needed tools for students such as pens, papers, books, boards,
furniture…etc.
It
claimed that it will try to enforce a more democratic system for
education, but they won't rewrite the Iraqi curricula, because this
mission will be referred to the new Iraqi ministry of education once
it has been established.
Some
supervisors said that the U.S wants to reorganize the education
system, not only in Iraq but in the whole gulf area, to grant
Washington the chance to create generations who believe in its own
values and way of life.
Most
schools in Baghdad reopened their gates Saturday, May 3, after closing
for whole month. Many people said that this is a new step to get life
back in Iraq, especially in light of the conflict overwhelming the
country after Saddam was ousted.
“50
% of students are back to classes again," Laila Saied,
principal of Ma'mon school, told IslamOnline.net.
She
believes that the main obstacle is the families fear of the messy
conditions and nonexistence of security. “We hear everyday about
violence and kidnap accidents," she added.
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