Iraq loses $20B+ to foreign online platforms

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Foreign online education platforms have generated more than 30 trillion Iraqi dinars ($23B) from Iraqi students over the past five years, lawmaker Amer Abdul Jabbar claimed on Sunday, calling for measures to reduce costs and keep education-related spending inside the country.

Abdul Jabbar, a member of the Al-Faw Zakho Coalition, estimated that non-Iraqi educational platforms collect around 6 trillion dinars ($4.6B) annually from sixth preparatory grade students alone, excluding revenues generated from third intermediate students.

Based on documents shared by the lawmaker, 126 educational platforms have been established since 2020, with most operating from outside Iraq, including Jordan. The “Abwab” platform is considered one of the largest among them.

Warning that students’ personal data could be transferred outside Iraq, Abdul Jabbar called on the Ministry of Education to establish an official online education platform with affordable subscription fees. He added that revenues could be directed toward the ministry’s budget and used to support school construction projects, including replacing mud-built and prefabricated schools.

The recommendations also called for coordination between the Ministry of Education and security authorities to regulate foreign education platforms and restrict those that fail to comply with Iraq’s academic and financial regulations.

Read more: Beneath the smoke: Iraq's children and the education just out of reach