Schools in Baghdad reopen; parents cautious

Schools across Iraq reopened this week, drawing a trickle of pupils, after the Education Ministry decided not to wait until the end of Ramadan October 7 to resume classes. A tour of schools in inner Baghdad neighborhoods revealed a low turnout. Many parents said they would wait a few days to assess the security situation before packing their children off to classes. Parents and children who turned up expressed hope that the new year would be better than the last one, which was beset by sectarian killings in Baghdad, with teachers also among the targets. Read more at The Daily Star.