Diyala opens 21 schools amid 750-building shortage
Shafaq News- Diyala
Twenty-one schools have opened in Diyala, including newly constructed buildings and additional wings at existing schools, but the province still needs more than 750 new school buildings to end double-shift classes, the provincial Education Directorate said on Friday.
Directorate spokesperson Ammar Al-Obaidi told Shafaq News that the new projects would ease classroom overcrowding, although “they would address only a small portion of the accumulated shortage in school buildings.”
Diyala has more than 1,800 schools operating in about 1,200 buildings, forcing many buildings to accommodate two or more schools in morning and evening shifts, with some operating three shifts, Al-Obaidi said. “The shift system puts additional pressure on teachers and infrastructure, reduces time available for classes and activities, and affects students and the quality of education.”
He called for sufficient funding and faster implementation of stalled projects, with priority given to areas experiencing the highest overcrowding and population growth.
Earlier this week, Iraqi Education Ministry spokesperson Karim Al-Sayyid told Shafaq News that Iraq faces a nationwide shortage of more than 10,000 schools, while about 1,000 mud-built and prefabricated schools remain in use.
