ASIA/IRAQ - “Our martyred nation has urgent need of a new school system” - Lay Christian in Baghdad makes appeal through Fides: “Terrorists funded from abroad: for a new Iraq we need to start with the children who are the future”

Baghdad (Fides Service) - Pending the election of a stable and democratic executive in January, the interim government in Iraq engaged in the difficult task of reconstruction, needs to guarantee security and renew the school system to provide education for the country’s children according to Elias, a lay Christian in Baghdad who underlined the importance of education to restore a civic sense and the values of civil co-existence, tolerance, respect and social harmony in the country devastated by conflict and war.
To face a situation of ever more ruthless violence the interim government led by Iyad Allawi declared a 60 day state of emergency and martial law. Speaking with Fides Elias agreed “this is the only way to stop widespread violence. Shooting, bomb blasts and car bombs are daily events. Terrorism rules. But if Iraqis are all so poor how can they buy arms and ammunition? In fact terrorists are financed from abroad by groups loyal to Saddam who want to destabilise the country”.
Elias stresses the need to renew the school system once security is guaranteed: “We must start with the children who are our future. We need a new generation of teachers and functioning structures, in cities and in rural areas often neglected. It is by starting with our children that we will succeed in building a new Iraq”.
According to UNICEF thousands of schools lack basic structures necessary for providing quality education. An investigation in 20,000 schools all over the country by the Iraqi Ministry of Education and UNICEF revealed that one third of primary schools are without water and half have no drain system. The situation is most critical in Thiqar, Salaheldin and Diala where 70% of primary schools have no water or water systems which do not work. Today about 4.3 million children are enrolled in primary schools which have no furniture. Since the number of school age children has doubled schools are insufficient and lessons are given in three or four shifts
“In the past, Iraq had one of the best school systems in the Middle East”, said UNICEF representative in Iraq, Roger Wright adding: “The present situation is the result of ten years of neglect and lack of funds during the time of the UN sanctions and the impact of three wars, starting with the war with Iran”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/11/2004 righe 34 parole 356)