Author Description

The educational system in Iraq was devastated by years of war, sanctions and sectarian conflict. Over 13 years, the author contributed to programmes designed to improve the quality of Iraqi schools. This book is an analytical narrative of that work. The outcomes were wide-ranging. New standards for teachers, headteachers, school supervisors and schools were implemented across the country. Every school in the country received, for the first time, an independent external evaluation. The roles of school supervisors were focused on supporting rather than controlling schools. Headteachers, previously little more than administrators, became school leaders, responsible for appraising the work of teachers in their schools. What was the impact of these changes? Was a permanent change achieved in the culture of the Iraqi school system?<br/><br/>This book breaks new ground. It provides a unique, personal account of educational reforms of wide scope, over a long time-frame and with significant impact; and it relates these developments to an in-depth account of the historical, political and cultural context of Iraq.