For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 18, 2003
President's Radio Address
Audio
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. During the decades of Saddam
Hussein's oppression and misrule, all Iraqis suffered, including
children. While Saddam built palaces and monuments to himself, Iraqi
schools crumbled. While Saddam supported a massive war machine, Iraqi
schoolchildren went without text books, and sometimes teachers went
unpaid. Saddam used schools for his own purposes: to indoctrinate the
youth of Iraq and to teach hatred.
Under Saddam, adult illiteracy was 61 percent, and for women it was
a staggering 77 percent. Iraq is a nation with a proud tradition of
learning, and that tradition was betrayed by Saddam Hussein.
As part of our coalition's efforts to build a stable and secure
Iraq, we are working to rebuild Iraq's schools, to get the teachers
back to work and to make sure Iraqi children have the supplies they
need.
Six months ago, nearly all of Iraq's schools were closed, and many
primary schools lacked electrical wiring and plumbing and windows.
Today, all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are
open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools in the country.
Earlier this year we said we would rehabilitate 1,000 schools by the
time school started. This month, just days before the first day of
class, our coalition and our Iraqi partners had refurbished over 1,500
schools.
Under Saddam, textbooks were so rare, six students had to share
each one. So we're working with UNESCO to print 5 million revised and
modern textbooks free of Baathist propaganda, and to distribute them to
Iraqi students. By the end of the school year, there will be enough
textbooks for each Iraqi student. And, for the first time in years,
they will get to read the work of great Iraqi writers and poets -- much
of it banned by Saddam's regime.
We have assembled more than a million school supply kits, including
pencils and calculators and note pads for Iraqi schoolchildren. We
have distributed tens of thousands of student desks and teacher chairs
and chalkboards. And to assure the health of students, we have
delivered over 22 million vaccinations for Iraqi children.
In many cases, American soldiers have intervened personally to make
sure Iraqi schools get the supplies they need. Army First
Lieutenant Kyle Barden, of Charlotte, North Carolina, wanted supplies
for the 11 schools in Laylan, Iraq. In response to Kyle's request for
help, North Carolina school children, doctors, businesses and others
have donated thousands of dollars to buy notebooks and pencils and
colored pens.
Army Major Gregg Softy, of the First Armored Division, sent an
email to friends about Iraq schools. The response was overwhelming,
Hundreds of packages were shipped, and a website was established to
encourage other Americans to contribute.
All of our efforts to improve Iraqi education ultimately served the
cause of security and peace. We want young Iraqis to learn skills and
to grow and hope, instead of being fed a steady diet of propaganda and
hatred. We're making progress, but there is still much work to do.
The request I made to Congress for Iraqi reconstruction includes funds
for additional health and training projects. I urge Congress to pass
my budget request soon, so this vital work can proceed.
Our efforts will help Iraq reclaims its proud heritage of learning,
and bring it into the family of nations. An elderly man in Umm Qasr,
recently tried an Internet connection for the first time. He was
stunned by the speed with which he could read newspapers from across
the world. He said, "Our society has been cut off from the world and
now we are reconnected." As Iraq rejoins the world, it will
demonstrate the power of freedom and hope to overcome hatred and
resentment. And this transformation will make our nation more secure.
Thank you for listening.
END
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