SEPTEMBER 2023

CULTURE & HISTORY
EDUCATION continued from page 33
ning, there were nine faculty for the
107 students, including four Jesuits
and five Iraqis. Over the years, Baghdad
College grew to include over 1,000
students and a faculty of 33 Jesuits
and 31 Iraqi laymen. The growth was
not easy or painless. The centuries of
antagonism between Islam and Christianity
and the long hostility between
East and West left scars on the Iraqis.
From the early days, Baghdad College
followed Iraqi school programs
and the Jesuits avoided bringing
American curriculum to Iraq. They did
offer their students a distinct advantage
– bilingualism in Arabic and English.
For many students, this was the
first time they saw real blackboards,
history maps, hygiene charts, projectors,
movie machines, and individual
armchair seats. In the eyes of their Jesuit
teachers, the boys completely won
their hearts.
Students learned science and
mathematics in English and Arabic.
They were prepared to take the final
government exams in Arabic and
to pursue further scientific study at
Baghdad University in English. Several
were judged competent by the
government to study abroad in the U.S.
and Great Britain.
During the four decades following
independence, both the Jesuit mission
and the country matured. In just
37 years, Iraq’s population expanded
from 3.5 million to 8.5 million while the
Jesuit population grew from four to 61.
Iraq’s secondary school grew in enrollment
from 2,076 Iraqi students in three
schools to 270,000 in 840 schools while
the enrollment in the Jesuit schools
increased from 120 students in a few
rented houses to 1,100 students in nine
buildings at Baghdad College.
In 1952, a university named Al-Hikma
(“wisdom”) was established by the
Jesuits.
Revolution
Iraq’s public and private education
started shifting after the 1958 coup
that overthrew the constitutional, prowestern
monarchy. It has been in decline
ever since, with competing philosophies
about testing and methods
falling in and out of favor. Meanwhile,
the Jesuit education of 1932-1958 and
during the turbulent years 1959-1968
maintained its consistent stance based
on faith and integrity, educational rigor,
and character building.
The revolution of 1958 and each
succeeding revolution was a crisis of
sorts. For a time, it seemed that the Jesuits
would weather this crisis as they
had previously. School and work went
Clockwise from
top of page:
St. Joseph students,
clergy, nuns and staff
at a Communion event
in Baghdad; Armenian
United School in
Baghdad; Sixth grade
graduation certificate for
Olivia Yousif Yacoub from
Frank Iny Jewish School
dated 1970; Young Iraqi
students in Bartella,
Nineveh Province.
on for another year until a new revolution
brought to power a socialist government
more interested in controlling
all private education.
The government decreed that it
would administer AI-Hikma while the
Jesuits continued to teach. The Jesuits
accepted the proposal and attempted
to work in the new framework for a
few months until an extremist element
in the government decreed their expulsion
from Iraq in November 1968.
A year later the American Jesuits at
Baghdad College were ordered to leave
by the same group.
Current Status
Education in Iraq is highly centralized,
and state controlled. The state fully finances
all aspects of public education
such as supplying books, teaching
aids and free student residences.
Arabic is used as the primary language
of instruction at all institutions,
although Kurdish is taught in Kurdish
areas. Pre-school education lasts for
a duration of two years and is open
to children at four years old; primary
education is six years in duration and
EDUCATION continued on page 45
34 CHALDEAN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2023