Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Interview With Aladin Abdul Sahib Alwan

Aired October 08, 2003 - 13:2   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This week history was definitely made in Iraq. Schools opened their doors to children who will, for the first time, be able to learn in a community rid of Saddam Hussein. Unquestioned obedience to the regime is gone and the freedom to explore any type of critical thinking is now free game. Funded by the coalition, managed by the soldiers and undertaken by Iraqi workers, schoolchildren sat down in brand new classrooms this week.
Dr. Aladin Abdul Sahib Alwan is a Shi'ite native of Baghdad. He studied medicine in Egypt and England and served as the dean of the medical school at Mushen Sria (ph) University in Baghdad. Dr. Alwan is Iraq's new education minister. He joins us now live from Baghdad. Sir, we appreciate your time. First of all, your thoughts. How did this first week go?

DR. ALADIN ABDUL SAHIB ALWAN, IRAQI EDUCATION MINISTER: I think it's gone very well. The number of schoolchildren going to school is high. Almost all children are going to school. They are highly motivated. And parents are also highly motivated. So so far, things are going very well.

PHILLIPS: And what about the security issues? Obviously, we see the video, we know the soldiers are there at the schools, making sure that it's safe for the children. But do you feel confident -- I guess I should ask you, how long will that have to take place, these soldiers being a part of the security at the schools?

ALWAN: Well, until the security situation improves in Baghdad, and goes back to normal. I mean, we've made it clear from the very beginning that security of schoolchildren is the responsibility of all. The Ministry of Education is doing its best. The Iraqi police is doing its best. Coalition forces are doing their best. So far there have been no security incidents. And we hope that it will continue like that.

PHILLIPS: Tell me how the curriculum is changing, now that there is no more Saddam Hussein. How are you teaching -- how are you having your teachers teach the students with regard to government and politics?

ALWAN: Well, I mean, our curriculum has been outdated and distorted. The only -- I mean, a process of curriculum reform will probably take some time.

What we are actually doing now is producing new textbooks that have no photographs, that have no Saddam Hussein and that have no statements which are directly related to the previous regime. So the new books are more or less the same as the old books, but without Saddam.

Now, we need to update the curriculum. We need to come up with a completely new curriculum. And this is a process that will probably take between one to two years. We're starting to develop the process for an in depth review of the curriculum. And we hope that we will start with the process by the beginning of next year, 2004.

PHILLIPS: And how are you asking your teachers to explain Operation Iraqi Freedom and the presence of U.S. soldiers and the relationship between Iraq and the United States? How will that go down in the history books? How will that be taught?

ALWAN: I think -- I mean, the new era is an era which respects reality and truth. So everything will be recorded as it happened. I mean, people -- even schoolchildren -- know the problems related to the previous regime. And this will be clearly stated in history books, and the objectives of the change will be clearly stated.

I have no doubt that the Iraqi community as a whole, including schoolchildren, know the truth. So there will be no problem in actually telling them exactly what happened. And they know it.

PHILLIPS: Dr. Alwan, my final question, you've studied and been educated all over the world. What are you going to tell these students about their future? Do you want them to all plan on going to college? Do you want them to come to the United States and experience a university here? Do you want them to go to a university in Baghdad?

ALWAN: Well, I mean, we want an education system that -- of high quality. We want an education system that an is accessible to all Iraqi people. We want equity, we want freedom of expression and we want to teach our students a new culture based on not only freedom of expression but on human rights and on democracy.

Our education system is going to improve in terms of quality, and that will also include higher education, colleges. During the last two to three decades, we were practically isolated from the outside world. So from now on, we will be open to the outside world. We will be open to the United States, to Europe and to other countries in the world.

PHILLIPS: And we'll be following those changes and of course the progress. Dr. Alwan, Iraq's new education minister, sir, we thank you for your time today and this evening there in Baghdad.

ALWAN: You're welcome.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 8, 2003 - 13:2   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: This week history was definitely made in Iraq. Schools opened their doors to children who will, for the first time, be able to learn in a community rid of Saddam Hussein. Unquestioned obedience to the regime is gone and the freedom to explore any type of critical thinking is now free game. Funded by the coalition, managed by the soldiers and undertaken by Iraqi workers, schoolchildren sat down in brand new classrooms this week.
Dr. Aladin Abdul Sahib Alwan is a Shi'ite native of Baghdad. He studied medicine in Egypt and England and served as the dean of the medical school at Mushen Sria (ph) University in Baghdad. Dr. Alwan is Iraq's new education minister. He joins us now live from Baghdad. Sir, we appreciate your time. First of all, your thoughts. How did this first week go?

DR. ALADIN ABDUL SAHIB ALWAN, IRAQI EDUCATION MINISTER: I think it's gone very well. The number of schoolchildren going to school is high. Almost all children are going to school. They are highly motivated. And parents are also highly motivated. So so far, things are going very well.

PHILLIPS: And what about the security issues? Obviously, we see the video, we know the soldiers are there at the schools, making sure that it's safe for the children. But do you feel confident -- I guess I should ask you, how long will that have to take place, these soldiers being a part of the security at the schools?

ALWAN: Well, until the security situation improves in Baghdad, and goes back to normal. I mean, we've made it clear from the very beginning that security of schoolchildren is the responsibility of all. The Ministry of Education is doing its best. The Iraqi police is doing its best. Coalition forces are doing their best. So far there have been no security incidents. And we hope that it will continue like that.

PHILLIPS: Tell me how the curriculum is changing, now that there is no more Saddam Hussein. How are you teaching -- how are you having your teachers teach the students with regard to government and politics?

ALWAN: Well, I mean, our curriculum has been outdated and distorted. The only -- I mean, a process of curriculum reform will probably take some time.

What we are actually doing now is producing new textbooks that have no photographs, that have no Saddam Hussein and that have no statements which are directly related to the previous regime. So the new books are more or less the same as the old books, but without Saddam.

Now, we need to update the curriculum. We need to come up with a completely new curriculum. And this is a process that will probably take between one to two years. We're starting to develop the process for an in depth review of the curriculum. And we hope that we will start with the process by the beginning of next year, 2004.

PHILLIPS: And how are you asking your teachers to explain Operation Iraqi Freedom and the presence of U.S. soldiers and the relationship between Iraq and the United States? How will that go down in the history books? How will that be taught?

ALWAN: I think -- I mean, the new era is an era which respects reality and truth. So everything will be recorded as it happened. I mean, people -- even schoolchildren -- know the problems related to the previous regime. And this will be clearly stated in history books, and the objectives of the change will be clearly stated.

I have no doubt that the Iraqi community as a whole, including schoolchildren, know the truth. So there will be no problem in actually telling them exactly what happened. And they know it.

PHILLIPS: Dr. Alwan, my final question, you've studied and been educated all over the world. What are you going to tell these students about their future? Do you want them to all plan on going to college? Do you want them to come to the United States and experience a university here? Do you want them to go to a university in Baghdad?

ALWAN: Well, I mean, we want an education system that -- of high quality. We want an education system that an is accessible to all Iraqi people. We want equity, we want freedom of expression and we want to teach our students a new culture based on not only freedom of expression but on human rights and on democracy.

Our education system is going to improve in terms of quality, and that will also include higher education, colleges. During the last two to three decades, we were practically isolated from the outside world. So from now on, we will be open to the outside world. We will be open to the United States, to Europe and to other countries in the world.

PHILLIPS: And we'll be following those changes and of course the progress. Dr. Alwan, Iraq's new education minister, sir, we thank you for your time today and this evening there in Baghdad.

ALWAN: You're welcome.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com