- Title: Iraqi children return to school, dump Islamic State's books of violence
- Date: 18th November 2016
- Summary: QAYYARA, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 17, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN WALKING INTO SCHOOL SIGN READING (Arabic) RUMANA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VARIOUS OF STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL COURTYARD VARIOUS OF STUDENTS LOOKING AT THE COURTYARD FROM A BALCONY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ASSISTANT HEADMASTER, FAROUQ OMAR MAHJOUB, SAYING: "The children faced a lot of violence and difficult circumstances during the rule of Daesh. This negatively affected their mind and thoughts, even the toys they played with consisted of guns and rifles, military cars and military clothes." STUDENTS WALKING TO CLASS VARIOUS OF THIRD GRADE TEACHER, MAHA NADHEM KADHEM, INSTRUCTING HER STUDENTS STUDENTS DURING CLASS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) THIRD GRADE TEACHER, MAHA NADHEM KADHEM, SAYING: "There were many negative effects. They no longer wanted to come into class, they got used to being lazy. They have forgotten their lessons, and now we are reminding them, so that they will be educated and cultured. We do not want them to stay at home." STUDENTS CHANTING ADDITIONS AND SUBTRACTIONS BOOKS USED BY THE STUDENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) THIRD GRADE STUDENT, SHAIMAA MOHAMMED ALI, SAYING: "They would ask us to add, explosive device plus explosive device, bullet plus bullet. But we did not want come to school until the army came in. They would make us wear the veil when we came to school, veils and gloves and socks." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS DURING CLASS STUDENT READING VARIOUS OF STUDENTS LEAVING CLASS
- Embargoed: 3rd December 2016 10:18
- Keywords: Iraq school children IS education
- Location: QAYYARA, IRAQ
- City: QAYYARA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00158Z1LXJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The school walls have a fresh coat of paint and classrooms are crammed, but it will take longer to undo the damage done to thousands of Iraqi children who lived under Islamic State for more than two years.
Although the school term began officially in September, only this week have pupils in the northern town of Qayyara been re-issued with standard Iraqi textbooks, which the militants replaced with their own in an attempt to brainwash a generation.
Islamic State was driven from the town three months ago in the early stages of a campaign to recapture the city of Mosul, which lies about 60 km (40 miles) to north and is now under assault by Iraqi security forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition.
As Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliphate is eroded, a clearer picture is emerging of the group's project and the enduring mark left on those who lived through it.
"The children faced a lot of violence and difficult circumstances during the rule of Daesh. This negatively affected their mind and thoughts, even the toys they played with consisted of guns and rifles, military cars and military clothes," Farouq Omar Mahjoub, the assistant headmaster of the Qayyara school said.
When the militants overran the area in the summer of 2014, they allowed schools to run as normal, local people said. But later they banned subjects they considered un-Islamic such as geography, history and civic education, and used boys' schools as a recruiting ground.
The following school year, beginning in 2015, Islamic State imposed an entirely new curriculum to inculcate children with their ideology. Maths exercises were expressed in terms of weapons and ammunition: "one bullet plus two bullets equals how many bullets?".
"They would ask us to add, explosive device plus explosive device, bullet plus bullet. But we did not want come to school until the army came in. They would make us wear the veil when we came to school, veils and gloves and socks," Shaimaa Mohammed Ali, a third grade student, said.
At that point, most parents stopped sending their children to school, and many pupils who were old enough to make up their minds left voluntarily.
As a result, most children have been set back by two grades, and since some teachers have been displaced by the violence, there is only one teacher for roughly every 80 pupils at the girls' school in Qayyara.
"They no longer wanted to come into class, they got used to being lazy. They have forgotten their lessons, and now we are reminding them, so that they will be educated and cultured. We do not want them to stay at home."
said their teacher Maha Nadhem Kadhem, pacing around the classroom, in which four girls are squeezed onto each bench made for two.
The headmistress, who asked to remain unnamed, said Islamic State's vice squad known as the Hisba had made regular visits to the school to ensure compliance with the group's strict dress code for women and girls.
Missing from the classroom in the girls' school are dozens of pupils whose male relatives were associated with Islamic State and are no longer welcome in Qayyara. Mahjoub said around 10 of his own students had joined the militants. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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