Studies Center: Education trade raises the number of universities and private schools in Iraq

[size=52]Studies Center: Education trade raises the number of universities and private schools in Iraq[/size]

[size=45]Translation / Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]A research published by the IRIS Institute for Regional and International Studies at the American University of Sulaymaniyah dealt with the phenomenon of the growing number of colleges, universities and private schools in Iraq since the period after 2003, which reflects the state of government neglect of public education and the lack of sufficient investments for its expansion and attention to the infrastructure of the educational sector in the country despite the growth The continuing population, where parents found their need for private education to ensure a study seat for their children in universities and to get rid of excessive overcrowding in public schools.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that the trend of private education in Iraq is constantly increasing. Where the number of private universities in 2003 did not exceed 10 universities and had about 20,000 students only, but today the number of private universities has doubled to more than ten times that number to reach 75 private universities with more than 220,000 students. As for private schools for the primary and secondary levels, they almost did not exist before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, but the network of these schools spread across Iraq, bringing their number to 2,700 institutions, comprising approximately 5% of the number of Iraqi students.[/size]
[size=45]Low government spending[/size]
[size=45]The report states that one of the important factors that led to the growth of the private education sector in the country is the government's neglect of the public education sector. Expenditure on public education has decreased since 2014, despite the explosive increase in the number of students year after year. Since 2014, the amount of annual spending on education has ranged around 10 trillion dinars (approximately $6.75 billion), of which 7.5 trillion dinars goes to the Ministry of Education, while the remaining 2.25 trillion dinars goes to the Ministry of Higher Education. This amount is not commensurate with the requirements of the increasing numbers of students, as government colleges cannot absorb these numbers of students, which are increasing at a rate of 4.4% annually. Meanwhile, government expenditures on the security and military sector are increasing as the country transitions to a post-war and development stage.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicates that the problem is not only with the few allocations, but in the area in which these amounts are spent, as the education budget focused during the period between 2014 to 2021 on paying the salaries of education staff and expenditures on goods and services. As for the necessary investments in sustaining educational and technological facilities and building schools and universities during that period, they declined to the point of neglect.[/size]
[size=45]What is the response of parents and students to this situation?[/size]
[size=45]A survey conducted by the research with parents of students registered in private schools and universities showed the consequences of government neglect to invest in the public education sector and the resort of parents to enroll their children in private schools to get rid of the phenomenon of students overcrowding in one class, which limits the opportunity for student learning as well as the decline in the level of education in public schools .[/size]
[size=45]Citizen Qassem, a resident of Baghdad, stated that he was forced to enroll his young son in a private school, despite the financial hardship he is experiencing, due to the unacceptable and unsafe situation in the local government school. He added, “The number of students in one class is approximately 90, while it should not exceed 35 students as a maximum. I was shocked by the situation of the school and the sight of the students sitting on the ground and the square crowded with students.”[/size]
[size=45]Other people have made the same observations. The citizen, Walid, from Dhi Qar Governorate, indicated that he saves 25% of his monthly income to cover the expenses of enrolling his three children in private schools, and that the main reason for this is the lack of a good quality school in his area. He talked about having to incur additional expenses to provide a better education opportunity for his children.[/size]
[size=45]On the other hand, parents say that private schools offer the same basic curricula, but within classes that are less crowded with students, while providing a marginally better educational experience. It is worth noting that this does not mean that all public schools are in a difficult state, and according to this, there are some government schools that have relatively reasonable numbers of students with sufficient buildings in them, but these cases are considered an exception and not the norm.[/size]
[size=45]As for higher education, the reason for going to private universities and colleges is the limited seats available for students in public universities and colleges, especially those related to the medical, engineering and law groups. The opinion poll indicates that these majors are the only ones that guarantee their holder the opportunity to obtain a government job after graduation.[/size]
[size=45]While the legislation before 2003 stated that only non-profit organizations had the right to establish schools and universities, the legislation after 2003 removed these obstacles. As the new provisions allowed all individuals and businessmen to establish educational institutions to seek profits from this activity.[/size]
[size=45]The research recommends the need to develop a more healthy relationship between the private and public education sectors for the benefit of the country in order to build an educational system that meets the aspirations of families, as well as the development and development of a new generation of leaders, educators and specialists, in two directions. The first is the need to make an important investment in the public education sector, which will benefit both the public and private educational sector institutions at the same time. A strong and sound public education sector will ensure that the growing demand for the private sector is based more on objective privileges than on artificial ones.[/size]
[size=45]As for the other necessary matter, standards must be put in place to authorize the appropriate authorities that can establish private schools and universities, and not allow businessmen and merchants to adopt this matter for utilitarian rather than educational purposes.[/size]
[size=45]About IRIS Institute of Studies[/size]
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