Environmental degradation and pollution is impacting on the life chances and education of millions of children across Iraq, a conference sponsored by the NASUWT heard.
The destruction of the physical environment and the toxic legacy of conflict is jeopardising the ability of children and young people to gain access to education.
The conference in London was co-sponsored by the NASUWT and the Iragi Environment and Health Committee of the Association of Iraqi Academics.
It heard how among Iraq’s 16 million children;
1.5 million children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition and environmental-related diseases,
Over one million children are not registered in schools due to poverty, homelessness and illness;
And more than one million children do not have access to clean drinking water.
The Conference also heard that over one million children are having to work instead of going to school.
The NASUWT’s Abdullah Mushin told the conference that decades of wars in Iraq, economic sanctions, sectarian conflict, oil prices and water shortages were some of the factors leading to the environmental degredation.
He said: “Children and young people in Iraq are being denied access to quality education because of the impact of the assault on and destruction of the physical environment and the legacy of environmental degredation and pollution.
“The NASUWT believes this is a crisis that needs urgent action because it will impact badly, not only on the lives and life chances of the children of Iraq, but also the region and the world over if it remains unchallenged.”
Mr Mushin said that before Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s education system was considered one of the finest in the region but by 2003, education was in crisis.
Thousands of new school buildings are required and many schools are basic, even built out of mud, lacking basic hygiene, he said.
Mr Muhsin said almost half of women were affected by illiteracy and teacher training was in short supply. The NASUWT was working closely with the Iraqi Teachers’ Union and the Kurdistan Teachers’ Union to provide training and build capacity.
A report of the Conference will be published shortly and will be available from the NASUWT.
