Siovana el-Nashir - Final Project Booklet

Timeline: 100 years of Iraq’s educational system
1973 Iraq benefits from oil revenues reinvested in industry, education and
healthcare, raising its standard of living to one of the highest in the
Arab world.
1908 First institute of higher education, a college of law, is founded in
Baghdad; other colleges and academies open over the next 50 years.
1975 Start of a 5-year plan to emphasize science and technology to
strengthen the country’s workforce.
1921 A type of public and private education is established by the British as
a modern system under the Kingdom of Iraq.
1979 Saddam Hussein becomes Iraq’s president and changes the climate
in higher education from one of learning arts and sciences into a
platform for Ba’athist ideology and policies.
1932 The British are ousted; the Republic of Iraq is born and continues
the British-style, educational system, adapting it over the next few
decades.
1980s
Education starts to steadily deteriorate as the Iraqi government
diverts education and social services funds into financing the 8-year
war with Iran.
1958 Education becomes government-controlled as part of the country’s
social agenda to provide basic education to all.
1960 Colleges and academies are consolidated and chartered as the
University of Baghdad; higher education begins to flourish.
1970s
Public education is managed by the Ministry of Education and is free
at all levels and compulsory at the primary level through
grade 6.
1970 Higher education comes under the control of the Ministry of
Higher Education and Scientific Research, which reduces academic
independence.
1990s
Economic sanctions and the 1990 Gulf War continue to drain Iraq’s
educational system. Teachers’ salaries decrease and attendance
declines as children drop out to take jobs to supplement family
incomes.
1996 To soften the impact of sanctions against Iraq, the United Nations
and Saddam agree to the Oil-For-Food Program in which Iraq sells
oil in exchange for food and other humanitarian goods. Iraq’s
educational system benefits little from the program.
2003 US and coalition forces invade Iraq, ending Saddam’s regime yet
uprooting the country’s infrastructure. Educational reforms are
established to modernize Iraq’s educational system and rebuild its
schools.
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