03 February 2003
Iraqi-born Educators and Scholars Consider Critical Educational Reforms
(Discussions focus on Iraqi education after Saddam Hussein) (1250) By Phyllis McIntosh Washington File Special Correspondent Washington -- Seventeen Iraqi-born scholars and educators met at the Department of State January 24-26 to discuss ways to make Iraq's education system more effective in preparing citizens to succeed in the democratic society they hope will follow the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime. The session was the first meeting of the Education Working Group, one of over a dozen groups of free Iraqis meeting under the auspices of the State Department's Future of Iraq Project to consider issues that will face the post-Saddam Hussein society. Participants in this education panel included university professors, primary school teachers, and several young people with recent experience in the Iraqi education system. The educators believe strongly that group's mission is not to impose change on the people of Iraq but rather to support and advise them as they seek to reform their education system and right the wrongs that have been done, according to two members of the group, Hind Rassam and Zainab Al-Suwaij. Rassam is associate chair of the Social Sciences Division at Mercy College in suburban New York City; Al-Suwaij is executive director of the American Islamic Congress in Boston and a former professor of Arabic at Yale University. Speaking to the Washington File January 29, they explained that the group's initial discussion focused on curriculum reform, teacher training, and changes in education policy affecting mainly the primary and secondary schools. The group pledged to focus on higher education at subsequent meetings. In the event of military conflict, participants agreed that all necessary measures should be taken to re-open schools as soon as possible. "Having children going to school is important for providing a sense of stability," said Al-Suwaij. "The immediate need would be to create a safe learning environment and provide supplies, nutritious meals, and counseling for children who may have been traumatized by war," Rassam noted. Quickly raising teachers' salaries and recruiting new teachers from among the educated Iraqi population also would be vital to successful functioning of the schools, she added. Curriculum reform and teacher training are among the most urgent needs if young Iraqis are to learn to function effectively in an open society, the group concluded. Key values, such as critical thinking, democracy, freedom, tolerance, and caring for others will need to be integrated into the school curriculum. "Saddam and his regime have practiced a brain embargo," Rassam observed. "There have been 30 years of dependence on the system. People don't have to think as long as they obey and don't say much." Even teachers' meetings and students' extracurricular activities are centered on Ba'ath party ideology and loyalty to Saddam Hussein, she said. Under a new system, "we will want to create citizens who are responsible, think for themselves, and feel tied to the community." Tolerance was a recurring theme in the discussions. In its mission statement, the group envisioned an education system that produces a citizen of Iraq "who has respect for all, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or culture." Under the Saddam Hussein regime, study of cultural heritage has either disappeared from the classroom or been cast in a negative light, Rassam said. A revised curriculum would celebrate Iraq's diversity and reflect the culture and heritage of major ethnic groups, such as the Kurds, Turkomans, and Assyrians, and various religious groups, including the Sunnis, Shiites, and Christians. To right the wrongs that have been done under Saddam, the group advocated including what Rassam calls "genocide education" in the school curriculum -- that is, open discussion of the human rights abuses and war crimes committed by Saddam. "This will assist in the truth and reconciliation process which will allow the Iraqi people to grieve for those unjustly killed," the group wrote in a statement. "It is the hope of the working group that this aspect will help prevent a repeat of these atrocities." Building a civil society also requires creating an atmosphere of openness and inclusiveness within the schools, the group concluded. That means changing the attitudes of teachers, students, and parents alike. "Teachers have been isolated for some time and are not aware of new methods and technology," Al-Suwaij explained. "Basically, they are teaching the same old curriculum in the same old way." Schools still operate on a rigid, hierarchical, "teacher-knows-best" system. Teachers are stern taskmasters, and instruction is primarily by rote learning with little give and take between students and teachers, Rassam said. "We will not change teachers' mentality quickly, but in the short-term perhaps we could offer mini-courses to start a dialogue that would change some attitudes." The goal is to create a more open classroom, where students participate freely and students and teachers respect each other's rights. Involving families and community leaders in the schools is a critical step toward revamping Iraq's educational system, the conferees agreed. Traditionally, parents' roles have been confined to hiring tutors in preparations for nationwide exams. Rassam explained, "You do not see parents in the schools, and there are no parent-teacher conferences." She added that parental involvement has, of course, been discouraged by the Saddam regime, whose "main mission in the schools is brainwashing and asking the children to spy on their parents." As part of educational reform, the group recommended that Iraq adopt two models that have proved effective and popular in the United States -- parent teacher associations (PTA's) and local school boards, composed of community leaders and parents, that would determine policies for schools in their areas. Such measures would help shift control of schools from the all-powerful Ministry of Education to the families and communities that know their children best. Parents also should be encouraged to volunteer in the schools and speak to their children's classes about their work and experiences, the panel advised. Al-Suwaij noted that parents and especially grandparents could play a critical role during a transition period. "Many of these Iraqis were raised before Saddam rose to power. As such, they will be able to assist in the development of 'free' thinking skills. They were brought up in a time when all Iraqis, regardless of ethic or religious backgrounds, lived in peace and tolerance as a way of life." The group is examining a number of wide-ranging policy changes that would affect many aspects of the education system. These include extending compulsory education from the sixth grade to the ninth grade and providing programs for mentally and physically handicapped students and those with learning disabilities. Establishing adult education programs also will be vital to combat the growing problem of illiteracy, the panel concluded. The illiteracy rate, once quite low in Iraq, has climbed steadily under Saddam Hussein, said Al-Suwaij. "Many people, especially men, were failed in school on purpose, so they would have no choice but to go into the army. Others were forced to drop out of school to support their families." Over the long term, the group would like to see the education system offer students more flexibility and provide advisors to help them make decisions about college and career. Rassam and Al-Suwaij said there was a strong sense of optimism, dedication and a genuine desire to bring about positive change among the members of the Education Working Group. "Education is the tool with which we can change society," said Al-Suwaij. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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