World Bank gives Iraq 60 million dollars for schools

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (AFP) - The World Bank said Wednesday it had granted Iraq 60 million dollars to build and repair schools.
The deal, signed on the sidelines of a donors' conference in Tokyo, provided the grant to build 100 schools and repair another 140, the Bank said in a statement received here.
"Iraq boasted one of the best school systems in the region but the decline in the education sector since the 1980s and the need for construction and repairs has placed great strains on an already fragile learning environment," the statement said.
"The backlog in constructions has resulted in nearly one-third of schools having to operate double or triple sessions per day."