Baghdad: The Minister of Education, Abdul Karim Abtan al-Jubouri, has taken decisive action by directing the formation of a committee to update the designs for Project Number One, a key initiative focused on school building infrastructure.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, this decision was announced following a meeting between Minister al-Jubouri and Baghdad Governor Atwan al-Atwani, alongside several senior ministry officials. The discussion centered on the ongoing crisis of school building shortages in Iraq, emphasizing the urgent need to eliminate double shifts in schools and address the obstacles hindering the project. Particular attention was given to schools whose construction has been halted and those with low completion rates, exploring the possibility of reassigning these projects to new contractors.

Minister al-Jubouri highlighted the dire situation, stating that Iraq is struggling with a school building crisis, where numerous prefabricated and mud-brick schools fail to meet safety standards. He expressed that such conditions are unacceptable, especially considering the substantial budgets allocated for educational infrastructure. The Minister acknowledged the support of the Baghdad Governor and emphasized the importance of collaboration with the Ministries of Planning and Finance to address these challenges.

The newly formed joint committee is tasked with updating the designs of the project, which has been stalled since 2011. They will review capacities and costs in light of the country’s population growth and prepare a comprehensive report on 127 schools in Baghdad, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for further action.