There are approximately 6 million Iraqi children enrolled in 19,000 primary and secondary schools. The following table, provided by the World Bank, is based on statistics obtained by UNESCO for a situation analysis of education in Iraq and the Iraqi Ministry of Education:
Primary schools Secondary schools 1995-96 10,665 3,047 1996-97 10,908 3,113 1997-98 11,027 3,325 1998-99 11,126 3,466 1999-2000 11,373 3,614 2000-01 11,709 3,809 2001-02 12,398 3,963 2002-03 13,087 4,116 2003-04 13,776 4,270 2004-05 14,366 4,332 2005-06 14,856 4,643
A range of international agencies have been involved in constructing and rehabilitating schools since May 2003, with the United States as the major bilateral partner and the United Nations and World Bank providing support mainly through the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI). DFID has contributed £70 million to IRFFI. Current plans are for 6,400 schools to be rehabilitated or constructed. 5,100 have already been completed.
Iraq’s current higher education system comprises 20 universities and 47 technical institutes under the management of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR). This includes 200 colleges, 800 departments, and 28 research centres. There are in addition 10 private colleges offering programmes in computer sciences, business administration, economics and management. The latest UNESCO survey of 2004 found a total student enrolment of 251,175, 42 per cent. of whom are women. Almost 50 per cent. of the students are enrolled at the five universities in Baghdad. Two universities have less than 2,000 students while Baghdad University enrols two thirds of all students.