Shafaq News/ Ruqaya Ali, a37-year-old mother of three from Iraq’s Babil governorate, has defied age andsocial circumstances to pursue her education. Once illiterate, Ruqaya nowserves as an inspiring figure for women facing similar challenges.
Raised in difficult economicconditions, Ruqaya was unable to attend school as a child because herfinancially struggling father could not enroll her in formal education.However, the dream of learning remained alive for Ruqaya, even after marriageand motherhood.
"When my children startedprimary school, I struggled to help them with their homework," Ruqaya toldShafaq News. "That challenge pushed me to pursue my dream of learning. Iturned to YouTube for educational videos on reading and writing, and a nearbyteacher also lent a hand."
Determined to succeed, Ruqaya passedthe sixth-grade external exam and continued her journey through middle and highschool, relying on private tutors. "Many women I met during the exams werein the same situation, and like me, they used the internet to learn. Myambitions don’t end here—I’m now aiming to enroll in college and earn abachelor's degree," she said.
Once a beacon of education in the1970s, Iraq now faces a significant illiteracy challenge due to corruption,conflict, and economic issues that have strained its educational system,leaving millions without basic literacy. With a renewed focus on education, thecountry is striving to restore its former strengths and create newopportunities for its people.
Iraq Illiteracy Rates: 12.7%Nationally
The world marks InternationalLiteracy Day on September 8 each year, a day first declared by UNESCO duringits 14th session at the October 1966 conference, to remind the global communityof the critical role literacy plays in the development of individuals andsocieties.
According to UNESCO’s officialwebsite, literacy is considered a fundamental necessity, comparable to waterand air, and is emphasized as the cornerstone for acquiring essential knowledgeand skills vital for human development.
Despite the crucial role literacyplays in individual and societal development, millions worldwide still lackbasic reading and writing skills, according to recent studies.
UNESCO data from 2022 showed that atleast one in seven people aged 15 and older, approximately 754 millionglobally, remain without basic literacy skills. Millions of children also facechallenges mastering fundamental reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, whilenearly 250 million children aged 6 to 18 are out of school.
An estimated 771 million peopleworldwide, mostly women and young people, still lack basic literacy abilities,creating a significant barrier to personal and societal progress and hinderingglobal efforts to meet sustainable development goals.
In Iraq, illiteracy remains apersistent issue, with millions affected. Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi, spokespersonfor Iraq’s Ministry of Planning, noted that while there are no updatedstatistics, ongoing socio-economic surveys will soon provide fresh insightsinto illiteracy rates and other related factors. "Previous indicatorssuggest that the illiteracy rate stands at around 12.7% for those aged 15 andabove across Iraq, with a higher rate among females (21%) compared to males(12%)," Al-Hindawi told Shafaq News.
He added that the current rate marksan improvement from a decade ago when illiteracy reached 20%. “This decline isattributed to government initiatives over the past few years, which have nearlyeradicated illiteracy in state institutions. Additionally, literacy centershave been established by the Ministry of Education to teach older adults.” Withongoing efforts, Al-Hindawi expected Iraq’s illiteracy rate to decrease to itslowest levels in the next decade.
In 2022, the Ministry spokesmanhighlighted the disparity in illiteracy rates between rural and urban areas inIraq. "Illiteracy in rural areas is 18.5%, while in cities it issignificantly lower at 8%, with the literacy survey in Iraq covering individualsaged 10 and older and excluding younger children still in primary school."
Moreover, Al-Hindawi reported,"Primary school enrollment in Iraq is at 94%, but this rate drops to 60%for intermediate education, with the country's population estimated to be over40 million."
In comparison to other Arab nations,female illiteracy rates are around 50% for those aged 15 and older. Iraq, alongwith Yemen, Mauritania, and the Comoros Islands, is noted for its highilliteracy rates.
“For males, the country has thehighest illiteracy rate in the age group over 15, at 40.2%. Overall, Iraq leadsthe Arab world with a general illiteracy rate of 49.9% for individuals aged 15and older,” he confirmed.
Unraveling Iraq’s Illiteracy Crisis
The increase in illiteracy in Iraqover the past three decades is attributed to a range of factors. Prominentamong these is corruption in the education sector over the past twenty years,compounded by economic difficulties, wars, and economic siege since the 1980s.
The failure to enforce theCompulsory Education Law and ongoing security instability since 2003, includingthe impact of the ISIS conflict (2014-2017) which led to significantdisplacement, have also played crucial roles. The situation was further exacerbatedby curfews and the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted education.
Additionally, high poverty andunemployment rates have severely affected the education system, leaving lots ofIraqi children without access to schooling.
In this context, a UNESCO reporttitled Literacy for Women, Iraq, indicated “Over many decades, Iraq has gonethrough several crises including war, economic sanctions, militarydictatorship, insecurity, political instability and terrorist attacks. Those factorshave severely undermined the Iraqi educational system and affected the totalpercentage of literacy in the country. Twenty five years ago, Iraq was widelyregarded as the most developed country of the Middle East, but its recentadversities have dropped development indicators to the bottom.”
Iraq’s Literacy: Milestones, FutureGoals
According to UNESCO, Iraq was once aglobal leader in education quality and literacy during the 1970s.
In response to ongoing illiteracychallenges, the Iraqi Parliament enacted Literacy Law No. 23 in 2011. Thislegislation established a High Commission for Literacy and created an executivebody within the Ministry of Education to oversee the implementation of the lawthrough literacy schools for individuals aged 15 and older.
The executive body for literacyreported that over 2.25 million people have benefited from its programs sincethe initial literacy campaign began on November 16, 2012, when the Ministry ofEducation opened 6,000 literacy centers, enrolling more than 500,000 studentsnationwide in the first phase alone.
Mouayed Al-Abidi, spokesperson forthe executive body, noted, "We celebrated International Literacy Day bygraduating 12 cohorts since the program’s inception, and the 13th cohort willbegin with the new academic year."
Furthermore, he confirmed that theseeducational programs continue, with additional plans involving multipleministries to support education efforts. “A program in collaboration withcorrectional facilities is also underway.”
“Literacy initiatives targetindividuals aged 12 to 18, as well as older age groups, with ongoing efforts toengage all illiterates, particularly young people who have left school, aimingto reintegrate dropouts into educational settings.”
Advancements Vs. Persistent Failures
Iraq’s education system hasundergone significant changes since 2003, moving away from the high illiteracyrates of the 1990s when economic hardship took its toll on the country, saideducation expert Haider Al-Mousawi. “Illiteracy had surged to over 35% in themid-1990s due to economic decline and other pressures, but improvements inliving standards after 2003 have seen a shift towards education.”
“Since then, we’ve witnessed morefocus on schooling, a reduction in dropout rates, and a rise in highereducation degrees,” Al-Mousawi told Shafaq News. “Bachelor’s degrees are nowwidespread, and there is a notable increase in students taking external examsand attending evening university programs, which are almost as popular asdaytime classes. These indicators suggest a decline in illiteracy, supported bygovernment and education ministry efforts to re-enroll dropouts.”
Al-Mousawi also highlighted thegovernment’s emphasis on education as a requirement for job opportunities,saying this has encouraged both men and women to pursue learning. “The rise ofsocial media and digital tools has provided further motivation to continueeducation and engage with the broader world.”
However, former ParliamentaryEducation Committee member Raed Al-Maksousi offered a more critical assessment.“The state of education in Iraq remains dire,” he said, noting that successivegovernments have neglected the sector. “There’s a clear decline in educationalquality, with a shortage of adequate school buildings that meet students'needs.”
Al-Maksousi further criticized thequality of teaching staff, telling Shafaq News, "Some educators needliteracy training themselves, unable to write a simple sentence without errors,and many have not received proper pedagogical training." He stressed theneed for better school infrastructure, teacher training, and adequate suppliesto improve the system.