Volunteer teachers in Hit offer free exam prep as alternative to private tutoring

ANBAR — As final exams draw near, a group of volunteer teachers in the city of Hit has launched free afternoon courses for high school students, providing an alternative to expensive private tutoring and drawing wide community support.

The initiative began with chemistry teacher Muthanna Jasim, who initially offered lessons at his home for five students. “But when more students came asking for free lessons, I contacted the local Peace Committee in Hit to find a bigger, more suitable place,” Jasim said.

With 17 years of teaching experience, Jasim said he views education as a mission, not a business. “I insist on offering these lessons for free despite receiving offers from private institutes,” he said. “I use simple teaching methods, turning problems into mental experiments that help students understand the material better.”

The Peace Committee moved quickly to support the initiative. “One of the leading teachers came to us and asked to run a free course,” said Mohammad Nather, the committee’s coordinator. “We took the idea to the district mayor and then contacted Harith Muthanna at the Hit Youth Forum, who provided the hall and logistical support.”

The program has since expanded beyond chemistry to include physics, biology and mathematics, with volunteer teachers offering lessons daily from 2:30 p.m. until all classes are complete.

“We posted the course announcement on Facebook and it received a big response — we now have 50 students enrolled,” Nather said. “After that, more local teachers reached out, offering to give free lectures as well.”

The effort comes amid increased scrutiny of private tutoring in Iraq. On May 12, the Ministry of Education announced that disciplinary action would be taken against teachers who offer private tutoring to their own students, citing concerns over exam transparency and the financial strain on families.

For students like Ahmed Basheer Ameen, the free courses are a rare opportunity. “We come from low-income families, and these courses are usually expensive,” he said. “But here, we found skilled teachers and a real learning environment that motivates us to study.”