Basra Education Directorate blames parents for overcrowded classroom at Al-Furatain Elementary

BASRA — The Basra Education Directorate issued a statement after a video circulated showing dozens of students crowded into a single classroom at Al-Furatain Elementary School in Zubair district.

Basim al-Qatrani, head of public relations and media at the directorate, told 964media that the problem had been addressed earlier by relocating classes to a larger building. However, he said parents refused to send their children to the new site, citing its distance from their homes.

“The directorate responded to the problem earlier and took action by moving Al-Furatain Elementary School to a more spacious building to accommodate the large number of students,” al-Qatrani said. “Parents refused to send their children to the new location because they considered it too far from their homes.”

He added that the directorate believes its decision was “clear and correct,” noting that the new facility could have accommodated all students. “The refusal of parents to comply with the relocation order led to the continued overcrowding in the current classrooms,” al-Qatrani said.

The situation comes as Iraq begins the 2025–2026 school year, with more than 12 million students returning to classrooms nationwide. Officials announced that 1,730 new and rehabilitated schools have opened and 251,000 students who had previously dropped out have rejoined classes.

Iraq continues to face a shortage of schools and teaching staff. The issue persists even with ongoing education development initiatives, including the 1,000 Schools Project with China, launched in 2021 under an oil-for-infrastructure agreement.