One of the schools under construction. Photo: Makhmur municipality.
1,000 schools to be built cross the country
Chinese companies to construct five schools in Makhmur
MAKHMUR, January 31 — Chinese companies are constructing five new schools in Makhmur district, as part of an agreement between the governments of Iraq and China to build 1,000 schools across the country.
The initiative is part of a deal signed during the tenure of former prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, under which Iraq provides oil to China in exchange for the new schools.
Rasul Mashari, the head of Makhmur’s education directorate, told 964media that the schools are expected to have a significant impact on education in the area.
“For every new school, we will allocate staff and teachers. Currently, we have 987 employed teachers and 350 temporary ones, and we can provide teachers for any school that needs them,” Mashari said.
Rizgar Ismail, Makhmur district commissioner, said a 24-classroom school is currently being constructed in the Kurdistan neighborhood. Five schools in total are planned for Makhmur, with two in the district center and others in the villages of Sharaih, Abu Jarad, and Sabahiya.
Ismail added that the construction of these schools is ongoing and expected to be completed by next year.
Makhmur, established as a district in 1927, comprises the district center, three sub-districts, and 253 villages.