Education Minister: Census Data Key to Tackling School Dropout Crisis

 
Baghdad – INA

Minister of Education Ibrahim Namis Al-Jubouri confirmed on Saturday that the ministry is awaiting the results of the population census to address school dropout rates. He also noted that 268 individuals were reintegrated into the education system within one month.

Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the Minister stated, "The Ministry of Education is awaiting the results of the general population census to obtain accurate statistics on the numbers and locations of school dropouts, the nature of the obstacles leading to dropout, and how to address them."

He pointed out that "the ministry has activated the work of the Executive Directorate for Literacy by implementing field plans since its independence in 2011, addressing 2.4 million cases."

Al-Jubouri emphasized that "emergency field teams, launched last October with the support of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, have reintegrated 268 individuals into education within one month, and the effort continues in an organized manner."

He explained that "the returnees to education include those who dropped out due to life circumstances and others due to special cases. We have alleviated the difficulties they faced and assured them of the ministry's understanding of their struggles, providing educational conditions that do not conflict with their families' livelihoods."

He noted that "the Executive Directorate for Literacy operates methodically in the field to understand the reasons for school dropout or parents' reluctance to educate their children and address them."

He continued, "We have amended the law, which previously covered a specific age range from 12 to 15 years, and now it does not adhere to a specific age. There is also high-level coordination between the Ministry of Education, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Ministry of Planning to create a statistical database to distribute efforts."