Even Iraqi Students Do Better in Math!

I'm really into sarcastic titles today. In any case, I thought I could demonstrate to you how diverse I am becoming in my resources, so I clicked on an article in the International Herald Tribune on Iraqi schools. (I keep wanting to write "Iraqui"). In any case, it turns out their article came from the New York Times. -Sigh-

Imagine attending school in a country where bomb attacks, IEDs, and house-to-house searches happen on a daily basis. And imagine to going to schools that are in a state of disrepair (no, not in the Bronx - although they are there too!), and where "Only 20 percent of schools in central and southern Iraq had working toilets, the ministry report said. A quarter had trash bins." (NYT, June 26th, 2006)

And yet these kids come, and their parents are involved in making them attend school, even when exhausted and grief-stricken by the ravages of war. I can't imagine it must be easy to teach these children, but thank you for heroic teachers! If American children attended school in these sort of circumstances, they would be inundated with grief counselors. For Iraqi children and their families, perhaps the stability and hope of attending school every day is enough. I find it both sad and inspiring. Think of those teachers going to work tomorrow while you're on your commute - they need all the good thoughts they can get.

"Amid Iraqi Chaos, Schools Fill After Long Decline" (NYT, June 26th, 2006)