The "ECO Iraq" observatory, specialized in economic affairs, revealed today, Sunday, that Iraq needs more than 10,000 new schools to address overcrowding in classrooms and improve the educational environment, noting that studies are still ongoing in about 200 mud schools.
The observatory stated in a statement viewed by the Vida News Agency that the number of schools attended by students and pupils in Iraq exceeds 40,000 schools, but this number is still below the actual needs of the country.
It clarified that Iraq needs around 8,000 new schools to transition to a single shift system, ensuring that a separate building is allocated for each school administration. Additionally, to eliminate overcrowding in classrooms and achieve a suitable educational environment, more than 10,000 additional schools are required.
The observatory pointed out that there are still about 200 mud schools and 800 container schools that continue to receive students, particularly in the provinces of Salah al-Din and Dhi Qar.
It indicated that provinces and cities with high population density, led by Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, and Dhi Qar, are among the areas most in need of building new schools, given the increase in student numbers and the growing pressure on existing school buildings.
"ECO Iraq" called on the Ministry of Education to take serious measures to address the overcrowding crisis and improve the condition of school buildings, in order to provide a more suitable educational environment for students and reduce the continuation of studies in mud and container schools.