Broken beams, broken futures: Diyala's school infrastructure crisis

Broken beams, broken futures: Diyala's school infrastructure crisis
2025-04-18 22:55

Shafaq News/ In Iraq’s Diyala province, students are attending classes under collapsing palm-frond roofs and rusted metal sheets, residents say, warning of an education crisis.

In the rural districts of Al-Muradiyah and Khan Bani Saad, southwest of Baqubah, dozens of students study in decaying buildings with rotting support beams and ceilings made from palm leaves — structures described by locals as “fragile wooden shells” that offer no real shelter.

One of the most pressing issues, residents told Shafaq News, is the lack of proper school buildings in these areas. Facilities such as Al-Tafawuq Primary School and Al-Takatof School have deteriorated to the point where they pose physical risks to students.

Government inspection teams have visited multiple times and documented the conditions, but residents report that no meaningful action has followed.

“The roofs neither protect nor shield from rain, cold, or high temperatures,” one resident said, describing the severe impact on children’s ability to learn during Iraq’s extreme seasons.

Earlier, Iraq finalized its nationwide 1,000-school construction project in partnership with China, aiming to modernize the education system after decades of conflict and underinvestment. While major cities have seen tangible improvements, rural areas like Diyala remain largely excluded — leaving students to study in unsafe, crumbling buildings that the new initiative has yet to reach.

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