The Diyala provincial council has taken action to hold the director of education and his deputy accountable for various violations and negligence in their duties, labeling it as a "significant failure."
During a session on Tuesday, October 8, attended by 11 out of 15 members, the council raised several concerns and inquiries directed at Ali Juma, the director general of education in Diyala.
Darya Khairullah, the head of the Education Committee of the council, criticized the director of education during a press conference following the questioning session. She accused him of numerous violations, such as removing school directors without following proper procedures, appreciation letters to teachers even during summer holidays, and misplacing 14 official documents.”
"We have documented multiple violations that go against the Ministry of Education's directives, including inappropriate staff transfers, unwarranted letters of appreciation which cancels penalties for disrespectful and non-professional behavior of staff," she stated during the conference covered by KirkukNow.
"We have identified 14 missing official letters from the records, with details of each letter, and noted that several school principals were dismissed without proper investigation," she added.
Iraq’s education infrastructure is in ruins in many parts of the country; one in every two schools is damaged and needs rehabilitation, says a report by the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF about education in Iraq.
Many schools operate in multiple shifts due to inadequate buildings and staff in an attempt to accommodate as many students as possible, squeezing the little learning time that children have.
According to a statement posted Diyala Provincial Council on Facebook, this accountability process marks the first significant action taken by the council since assuming office. The council has the authority to hold local officials accountable under the law.
"The council has held the director general of education and his deputy responsible for serious departmental failures," announced provincial council chairman Omar Kirwi during a press briefing.
The council hosts local officials as first step, followed by questioning and finally to keep the official at office or dismiss him.
In response to the accountability measures, Ali Juma, the director general of education in Diyala, referred to the process as more of a discussion rather than a questioning and holding him accountable during a news conference attended by KirkukNow.
He vowed to address all negligence and shortcomings, in particular the issues raised by the council.
According to a statement by the council, the director of education is expected to address the raised concerns and questions in the upcoming session, which has yet to be scheduled.
Diyala Province is home to 1.6 million people, 90,000 of whom live in the center of the Khanaqin dominantly Kurdish district, according to estimates by the Central Bureau of Statistics for 2019.
Diyala province consists of six districts and 15 sub-districts, including various disputed areas under Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, such as Khanaqin district.
Diyala Provincial Council consists of 15 seats, four of which are allocated to women.
The 15 members of the Diyala Council were first divided into two teams: The Team of Eight and the Team of Seven. The two teams include a mixture of Shiite and Sunni parties seeking to secure the largest number of senior positions in the local government in their favor.
