For Immediate Release
April 3, 2004
Educational Reform in Iraq
Iraq Fact of the Day
The Ministry of Education is back in the hands of Iraqis today. The Ministry has made remarkable progress in reforming the country's schools. More than 5.5 million children are back in the classroom. In the accelerated learning program, girls now outnumber boys and overall attendance during exam week was 97 percent. Teachers that were once bound to Saddam's propaganda now encourage open discussion, critical thinking, and the scientific method. This is the second ministry to transition to direct Iraqi control and represents a major milestone towards Iraqi self-government.
Sources: Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development