Iraq Education Ministry says school textbook printing guided by transparency, quality criteria

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq’s Ministry of Education said the printing of school textbooks for the current year is being carried out in line with established rules and directives, with quality and efficiency standards built into the tender contracts. Ministry spokesman Karim al-Sayyid said in a written statement that preparations for printing the textbooks were organized to meet the highest technical-quality standards in the interest of students and Iraqi families. The ministry formed expert commissions to assess the capacity of printing presses and companies on the ground, and the process is being run uniformly on a quality basis, according to the statement. All bids are subject to the announced technical, legal and financial criteria, with equal opportunity preserved and public funds safeguarded, the ministry said. Al-Sayyid added that the budget allocated for textbook printing this year amounts to roughly one-third of previous years when measured against student numbers, with savings achieved by reassessing previously used textbooks. The ministry said bidding deadlines were extended following official correspondence with senior authorities in response to complaints, a step it described as widening competition and strengthening transparency. The ministry also called on the public to verify information through official sources.