Hope springs eternal
Proud to be shaping the future of Iraq
In my country, it should really be the case that the education process reflects individual perspectives as well as developments throughout the world. However, we have a lot of problems there. Until recently, Iraq’s dictatorial government, like all the other parts of life here in Iraq, were big obstacles to education. Schools were prevented from developing and kept circling around a limited range of ideas.
In my view, education in this country needs to start from zero with a new system that suits a modernized world. This is not an easy thing to do, and it would take a very long time and much sacrifice. Iraq has various regions, and, at the moment, there are two different educational systems at work.
Iraqi education is still in its beginning phases, still facing so many problems that deny its potential. The most visible problems are political unrest, struggles between parties and their sub-organizations, and parts of society have a conservative point of view on education. Political unrest is a big reason that the Ministry of Education cannot have a permanent plan to build and develop educational processes. Everything changes with each new government and its cabinets. I would definitely say that the Ministry’s affairs are not conducted systematically. We also must think about how Iraq is not one of the world’s poorer countries – even in the past – but is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. So the question is: why are things on the right course? That question would take much more than such a blog to clarify.
The new generation has a different attitude toward learning...
Nonetheless, we are still keeping the educational system going, and won’t let it fade, despite having various problems with its progress. I think we can find solutions and solve all of the educational problems in the future. If we could improve education in Iraq, the other parts of our country and society would improve automatically. This is my dream and the dream of every loyal person in this country. That is why I’m interested in this issue.
When I was a student, I saw very few opportunities – unlike in the new generation, everything was much more limited. Everything in this country suffered on account of the wars. But people got a better education then than now. I wasn’t studying just to pass the exams. The point was learning. But I think students now are studying just to pass the exams and gain high marks. This is another big problem we face, and I will be writing about this issue more in my next blogs.
As a teacher, I’m happy with my work because I feel that I contribute to the most important facet for improving my country. I work with a very warm heart, and do not feel hopeless about all of the troubles and obstacles standing in the way of educational progress. We see change gradually. And even if it’s not big change, at least we are not stuck at the same point forever or going backwards.
