Iraqi teachers unsafe in own classrooms
The Iraqi prime minister has called on the security forces to protect schoolteachers from attacks by their students while the parliament considers penalizing crimes against educators.
BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi instructed security services “to prevent the abuse of teaching and educational staff,” who he said “have taken upon themselves the educational mission of raising generations for the future of Iraq.” He also called for “pursuing whomever tries to insult either educational bodies or students.”
Abadi’s brief statement on Jan. 17 came in response to a series of attacks within Iraqi educational institutions. Iraq is already facing an educational crisis with a lack of school facilities and faculty. Increasing numbers of students are dropping out of school, and 18% of the population is illiterate.
