Iraq/U.S. Curriculum Translation

*Should have had consistent schooling with minimal gaps in education

Iraq Education System

School Year: September to June | Compulsory Education: 1st-6th | Graduation: 1st – 12th

Iraq/U.S. Grading Scale

Iraq Transition Supports

Iraq Education Practice:

Few countries in the world have been more severely affected by war over the past decades than Iraq. Iraq’s education system, like the country as a whole, remains crippled by the dislocation of people and the destruction of critical infrastructure because of years of economic sanctions and a series of devastating wars. Primary education is suffering due to the difficult economic conditions, which lead to parents either not sending their children to school or children dropping out of school at an early age. Moreover, there is frustration among teachers because of low salaries, severe shortage of textbooks and teaching aids, and miscommunication between teachers and parents.

One of the most prominent problems of primary education is the high rate of failed students. Causes of failed students include the lack of qualified teachers, poor conditions of schools, lack of textbooks and teaching materials, child labor to increase family income, and increment of student density in classrooms (Marks 2020i).

U.S. Educator Implications:
Students from Iraq may need significant supports for academic, social, and emotional needs. Living in war-stricken areas often comes with detrimental consequences such as increased anxiety, fear, and trauma. Students and families may need to be connected to community resources in order to aid them in their transition.

Strategies for Transition

• Get to know your students by building positive relationships.
• Provide multicultural education where texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives represent people from different cultural backgrounds.
• Iraqi women are typically responsible for their children’s education and will work hard to ensure their children succeed; however, educators should communicate with both parents, as the father is generally seen as the head of the family.
• “Teachers working with Muslims should remember that Islam does not depict the Prophet Muhammad. In fact, using images of the Prophet is considered offensive (Marks 2020i).”
• Men commonly hold hands or kiss when greeting each other, but this is typically not the case for men and women. Gender separation is the norm in Iraq; therefore, being in a mixed-gender classroom may bring uncertainty to students. Partnering students with the same gender may be helpful as they build more comfort.
• Iraqi families value education and, before the war, many Iraqis were highly educated. Parents and older Iraqis may actually have higher literacy rates than teenage Iraqis or young adults. It is important for U.S. educators to not assume that all individuals from Iraq are lacking education, as Iraq used to have one of the most respected education system.
• Most Iraqi women wear a hijab and, although they may be somewhat modern in terms of working and driving in the U.S., they still generally prefer gender separation. As educators, consider adult ESL programs as a community resource; creating same-gender classes may improve participation from Iraqi families (Marks 2020i).