KATHMANDU, MAY 01

Low learning levels are putting the future of Iraqi children and, as a result, the future of the whole country at risk. The development of human capital, necessary for sustainable economic growth, has been in decline for years.

An early grade reading assessment (EGRA) found the vast majority of students in grades 2 and 3 did not comprehend age-appropriate materials. Even prior to COVID-19, Iraqi children lagged well behind their peers in human capital development measured by the World Bank's Human Capital Index.

Of an average seven years spent in school, the amount of learning that is taking place is only 4 years. The decline has been exacerbated by COVID-19 with more than 11 million students set back by school closures and limited opportunities for remote learning. Reform of the sector is essential to address the shortcomings of education and revive its focus on learning. In 2019, the Government of Iraq approached members of the Iraq Reform, Recovery & Reconstruction Fund, which is managed by the World Bank, co-chaired by the Ministry of Planning.

A version of this article appears in the print on May 02, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.