University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1974 Education and development in Iraq : with emphasis on higher education. Falih A. Al-Shaikhly University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Al-Shaikhly, Falih A., "Education and development in Iraq : with emphasis on higher education." (1974). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 2084. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/2084 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 3 E b b bi3L( cj five college DEPOSITORY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ, WITH EMPHASIS ON HIGHER EDUCATION A Dissertation Presented By Falih A. AL-Shaikhly Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION April 1974 Major Subject: International Education © 1974 FALIH A. AL-SHAIKHLY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11 EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ, WITH EMPHASIS ON HIGHER EDUCATION A Dissertation Ry Falih A. Al-Shaikhly Appr^Thd as to style and content by: l Dr„ David R. Evans, Chairman mv ffurfl * y Dr. Thomas L. Bernard, Member Dr. Robert L. Sinclair, Member Dr. George E. Urch, Member April 1974 iii DEDICATION To my parents, Amina and Abdul Karim Al-Shaikhly, my first teachers, for their immeasurable love and devotion. PREFACE As a native Iraqi, the writer has familiarity with Iraq’s educational system having been educated in the primary and intermediate schools and the secondary school of commerce and having graduated from the College of Commerce and Economics of the University of Baghdad in 1962. My graduate education was gained in the United States. I earned a masters degree in Economics at North Dakota State Univer- sity in Fargo. I have taight in several American higher educational institutions including American International College, Western New England College and the University of Massachusetts. The teaching experience has given me an acute understanding of the role of the teacher and the relationship between education and the "real life" it supposedly trains one for. Since I have been away from Iraq, I have remained continuously in touch with developments there. The dissertation is oriented toward a problem- solution approach to Iraq’s development. I would like to express my great appreciation to my doctoral disserta- tion committee composed of: Dr. David R. Evans, Chairman; Dr. Thomas L. Bernard; Dr. Robert L. Sinclair and Dr. George E. Urch. I would also like to thank Dr. Judith L. Evans for accepting and fulfilling the responsibilities as the Dean’s representative to my committee. Furthermore, I would like to emphasize the valuable guidance and assistance given me by my advisor Dr. David R. Evans, both during the preparation of the dissertation and through - v out my graduate program at the Center for International Education. My hearty thanks also go to Dr. George E. Urch for his extremely beneficial s ingestions and support, to Dr. Robert L. Sinclair for his helpful comments on the dissertation and proposal, and to Dr. Thomas L.Bernard for our interesting informal discussions on the dissertation. To my brothers Abdul Kader and Abdul Mutalib and my sisters Sadiyah and Amrah go many thanks for providing me with numerous up-to-date helpful Arabic references which were extremely helpful in the writing of this dissertation. My deep gratitude and appreciation for her support and encourqge ment go to my closest friend Suzanne E. Kray. I would also like to thank Mrs. Pauline Ashby for typing the draft, as well as the final copy of the dissertation. vi EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ, WITH EMPHASIS ON HIGHER EDUCATION (April 1974) FalihA. Al-Shaikhly B. Sc. in Commerce and Economics, University of Baghdad M. A. in Economics, North Dakota State University Directed by: Dr. David R. Evans ABSTRACT Iraq is fortunate in comparison to many other developing countries. It has vast natural resources and capital formation which can be utilized to educate the public to aid the development of the national economy. The objectives of the dissertation are: 1. To explore the potential need for the integration of education and national development. 2. To study the development of the Iraqi higher educational system since the early 1950's in the following context: a. Development of the demand for collq^ e graduates. b. Analysis of college curricula and determination of the educational system's ability to provide graduates with appropriate skills to meet the needs for development in Iraq. c. Proposing alternative curricula for higher education in Iraq. vii d. A study of existing financing of educational needs. The dissertation is divided into nine chapters which are directly related to the achievement of the above two major objectives. The first chapter is an introduction to the study and includes basic information about Iraq. The second and third chapters provide the relevant economic issues required for a general background for the study. Chapter II includes an analysis of the concept of human capital. Chapter III outlines in detail the major approaches to economic development. The first objective of the dissertation which is to emphasize the importance of the integration of education and national development in Iraq is discussed in Chapters IV and V. Chapter IV reviews the various projects and programs of economic development undertaken by the Iraqi government since 1950. Chapter V is essentially a continuation of Chapter IV and singles out the issues and problems of education and its importance as a leading sector in the development of Iraq. The remaining four chapters are designed to achieve the second major objective of the study. Chapter VI provides background materials on education acquired prior to the elementary education. Emphasis is given to the historical development of Islamic philosophy of education. Chapter VII concentrates on the system of primary and secondary schooling prior to university education. Chapter VIII presents a conceptual analysis of the present oig anizational structure of higher education and its limitations. This includes college curricula, proposed alternative curricula, and financirg educational needs. Finally, Chapter IX contains conclusions and recommendations. viii The disseitation also includes a discussion of regression analysis, cost-benefit analysis, linear-programming techniques and graphical analysis as alternative approaches to the integration of educational planning and economic development. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION iv PREFACE v ABSTRACT vii LIST OF TABLES xiil LIST OF FIGURES xvi LIST OF CHARTS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ! Statement of the Problem 1 The Purpose of the Study 3 Research Procedures 4 Lim Rations of the Study 5 Selected Review of Literature 7 Organization of the Study 8 General Information About Iraq 9 II EDUCATION AS HUMAN CAPITAL 16 Meaning of Education as Human Capital 18 Human Capital and Marginal Productivity 20 Recent Developments in the Concept of Human Capital 24 Conclusion 29 III MAJOR APPROACHES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOP- MENT IN THE CONTEXT OF LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 32 The Approach of Balanced Growth 36 The Approach of Unbalanced Growth* 41 Criticisms 43 Concluding Remarks 47 x CHAPTER . pae e IV ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ SINCE 1950 51 History of the Economic Development Programs 55 Efforts to Improve the Economy 75 V ISSUES OF DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION AS A LEADING SECTOR IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY OF IRAQ 83 Problems of Education „ 85 Recommendations for Solving the Problems of Education 101 Conclusion 108 VI DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE KUTTAB SCHOOLS AS PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION 110 Earlylslamic Educational Development and the Role of the State 112 The Organization of Islamic Schools 113 Kuttabs 119 Conclusion 122 VII PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION: ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS 126 Organization 126 Curricula 137 Financing of Education 143 Conclusion 147 VIII DEVELOPMENT OF THE IRAQI HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM. 149 Organization 150 Curricula 169 Higher Educational Financing 180 Concluding Remarks 183 Page IX CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 187 Conclusions -^7 Recommendations Ig 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 193 APPENDIX A: Universities, Colleges, Institutes in Iraq 209 APPENDIX B: College of Commerce and Economics, University of Baghdad, Program of Studies, 1958-59 - 1961-62 214 APPENDIX C : Two Alternative Approaches to Educational Planning in Iraq 2 16 xii LIST OF TABLES Pag-e 1 Iraqi Expenditures for Development and Non- Development Sectors for the Period 1966-1972. ... 52 2 Total Iraqi Revenues and Public Debt Financing for 1966-72 56 3 The Six Year Plan of 1951-56 60 4 Estimated Expenditures, Actual Expenditures, and Unused Allocations Projects of the Development Board Fiscal Years 1951-56 .... 62 5 The Five Year Plan of 1955-59 «... 64 6 The Six Year Plan of 1955-60 66 7 Estimated Expenditures, Actual Expenditures, and Unused Allocations Projects of the Development Board Fiscal Years 1955-60. 67 8 The Provisional Economic Plan 1959-60 to 1962-63 . .70 9 The Detailed Economic Plan 1961-62 to 1965-66 71 10 Estimated Expenditures, Actual Expenditures and Unused