Education in the War World

I think it is safe to say that every body deserves a right to education. Currently in Iraq there are some problems:

NEW YORK, USA, 15 February 2007 – Schools are becoming critical hubs of stability within Iraq, thanks to a UNICEF-supported restoration programme designed to stem school closures and growing drop-out rates.

The initiative is critical because insecurity is destroying Iraqi children’s right to an education and forcing parents in some areas to choose between their children’s schooling and their safety. And even for those children who do make it to school, often there are not enough qualified teachers or adequate facilities.

“Our parents drop us off at school and pick us up,” says Hanan, 11, who attends a school in Baghdad and hopes one day to be a pharmacist. “They are afraid for our safety because of what is happening in the streets – the explosions.”

There is some hope.

The continuation of schooling is a primary UNICEF concern in all emergency situations. During armed conflict and in the aftermath, education can offer structure and stability for children and adolescents. And in Iraq, as in every country, a quality education for all children is the best guarantee of a better future.