Secondary school opens its doors

Photo By Luis Delgadillo | Capt. Richard Aaron, commander of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, speaks with community leaders during the grand opening of the Ben Saad Maath secondary school in Maderiyah on April 2. Aaron, a native of Middleboro, Mass., and his Soldiers are responsible for maintaining security in the region and assisting local residents re-establish ties with the government of Iraq.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

04.06.2008

Story by Sgt. Luis Delgadillo 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Luis Delgadillo
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Community leaders welcomed representatives from the ministry of education and coalition forces for the opening of the Ben Saad Maath secondary school in Maderiyah on April 2.

Al Zerqa school, a primary school recently reconstructed by coalition forces, was being used as temporary location for the secondary school. With the completion of the new building, adolescent students now have a facility of their own.

"The opening of this school is a great help for the kids of this area," said Atin Achani, a supervisor specialist in public education for Baghdad.

Achani said the ministry of education is working to increase teachers' salaries and build more schools throughout Iraq.

"The Ben Saad Maath school will give many secondary-aged students throughout the area the opportunity to receive a secondary education for the first time," said Capt Richard Aaron, commander of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

Aaron, a native of Middleboro, Mass., and Soldiers of his battery are responsible for maintaining security in the area and assisting local residents in re-establishing ties with the government of Iraq.

"When I ask the locals throughout the area what their top essential need is, what is the one thing we could help them fix most of the time they simply reply, 'fix our schools and help our children receive a good education,'" Aaron said. "The construction of the new secondary school will allow more students to attend the primary school located next door."

Though coalition funds helped build the Ben Saad Maath school, MoE work will keep the school's teachers paid and the facilities functional.

"With out a doubt this project proves that the MoE is positively impacting children in the area," Aaron said.

Once the ribbon-cutting ceremony was complete, 150 students and 18 teachers viewed the new classrooms, furniture and supplies prior to starting the first day of class.

• Date Taken: 04.06.2008
• Date Posted: 04.06.2008 17:15
• Story ID: 18129
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ