Iraq shuts down 158 unlicensed private education centers in Baghdad and other cities

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Education has closed 158 unlicensed private education institutions, the ministry said in a statement. The action followed surprise inspections carried out jointly by a ministry commission and a unit of the National Security Advisory, targeting supplementary tutoring centers operating without official approval. Education Minister Abid Karim Abtan ordered the continued enforcement of regulations on private education institutions lacking official licensing, the statement said. The ministry commission oversaw the work of sub-committees attached to provincial education directorates in Baghdad and other cities. According to the ministry, the closures covered institutions found to be operating in violation of regulations during May, June and July. Legal measures were applied to the centers in line with Iraqi education law, it added.