Nineveh inaugurates 73 new schools funded by Chinese loan

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Nineveh Education Directorate announced the opening of new schools across the province as part of a project funded by a Chinese loan.

Khalid Musallat Al-Jubouri, the directorate’s head, told Shafaq News Agency, "With the support of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers and the local government in Nineveh, 73 out of 92 schools funded by the Chinese loan have been inaugurated in the province."

"The new schools would soon be operational, significantly reducing the issue of double-shift schools and addressing the prevalent challenge of portable cabin schools, which represent one of the major obstacles facing the education sector in Nineveh."

The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers has confirmed to Shafaq News Agency that 1,000 schools will be completed by the end of the year under the Chinese loan project. The Secretariat highlighted Iraq's need for approximately 10,000 schools to eliminate double shifts and alleviate classroom overcrowding.

The Chinese loan to Iraq has become a key element of the evolving relationship between the two nations.

Under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), important investments have been directed towards Iraq’s infrastructure, focusing on sectors such as oil, agriculture, and housing. This initiative has facilitated the funding of essential projects, including the recent development of schools and hospitals in Nineveh.