Iraq - Constitutional & Legal Foundations

The educational system of Iraq is legally codified in the Provisional Constitution of 1970. In this code, following the precedent of the General Education Law of 1940, primary education is compulsory and universally guaranteed to the Iraqi people. In 1976, the Compulsory Education Law was promulgated, requiring children between the ages of 6 and 15 to attend primary school. Iraq is a signatory to the 1978 Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab States.

The Iraqi government, embodied in the Revolutionary Command Council, has long made universal literacy and education a national priority; in the past free schooling was available from the primary to the graduate levels, as well as student nutrition, classroom materials, and the opportunity for graduate study abroad, all at government expense. The government highlights the eradication of illiteracy among Iraqi women as a main goal. Equal educational opportunities are offered to both genders, though some specifically target women, including literacy programs and home economics courses. The Iraqi government has passed detailed educational legislation in order to more closely hone in on areas of development and innovation. Such laws include the formation of parents and teachers' councils, schools for the gifted, teacher training centers, fine arts centers, guidelines for educational television, and the Boy Scout program.

The remarkable successes of the government in the past are due to its commitment to various national planning strategies, including long and short-range plans, and its deep investment in the modernization of Iraqi society. Iraq emphasizes innovation and technology, including computers and media, as cornerstones of its educational system. The government also seeks to consolidate the relationship between education, labor, and production. After the implementation of economic sanctions in 1990, the Iraqi government's ability to continue such ambitious programs has been severely constrained. Only one percent of the funds earned through the "Oil for Food" initiatives embodied in United Nations Resolutions 983 and 1153 (which allow Iraq to sell more than $5 billion semi-annually for food and medicine) is allotted for education.