Iraqi Ministry of Education has inked a deal with Dell for a multi-phase deployment of 50,000 of its Optiplex 380 desktop computers and monitors in 4,000 schools across the country.

With the signing of the deal, more than 200,000 Iraqi middle-school students will have access to IT in the classroom for the first time since the conflict in Iraq, said a statement from Dell.

Thousands of schoolchildren are entering classrooms equipped with new Dell technology that will help improve how they access information, and ultimately, work and compete with their peers around the world, it added.

This development is the result of a close collaboration between the Iraqi Ministry of Education and Dell, who assessed the complex education system and the local infrastructure.

Prior to 1991, Iraq’s education system was one of the best in the Middle East.  However, in recent years, international sanctions and import challenges due to conflict have precluded access to classroom technology in Iraq.

This disparity has resulted in the country’s Information & Communication Technology (ICT) facilities becoming weak and most teachers have little or no ICT literacy, said the company.

Access to technology is a cornerstone of the Iraqi Ministry of Education’s plans to build, restructure and improve the country’s education system.

“The Ministry of Education is keen to develop Iraq’s education system in line with global standards, and our primary area of concern is technology.  We will enable students across Iraq with modern, state-of-the-art facilities, which will serve as a platform for their complete syllabus,” remarked Naif Hussein, the general director of IT, Iraq Ministry of Education.
 
“We chose Dell OptiPlex systems because they are cost efficient, powerful and expandable. Most importantly, Dell demonstrated their commitment to our cause through the team’sloyalty and stability over more than three years in working on bringing this project to fruition,” he noted.

Dave Brooke, the general manager, Dell Middle East said, “A whole generation of Iraqi children have had very limited exposure to technology for nearly a decade. Dell is honouredto have a role in helping to rebuild the country’s education system and introducing the power of technology to Iraqi children.”-TradeArabia News Service