Ridicule as teacher is 'honoured' for 35 years of service with blanket in Iraq

Dubai: An Iraqi teacher has become the talk of the town after being "honoured" with a blanket in appreciation of her three decades of services, Iraqi media reported.

According to Al Tahrir TV, the Directorate of Vocational Education in Karkh, the western half of Baghdad, honoured Iman Khudair Abbas for 35 years of services as a teacher.

Pictures of the odd gift being handed out to the teacher have gone viral on social media, sparking a wave of ridicule among netizens who were shocked by the gift for such a long service. 

Some other users said the gift was an insult to the entire education system and a humiliation for the teacher, who was celebrating her retirement.

Iraq used to have one of the best education system in the Arab world. But, decades of wars, sanctions and military occupation caused untold damage to Iraq’s infrastructure and destroyed its education sector.

The lack of government investment in education, continued political instability and violence and the mass displacement of families, have all contributed to weakening the country’s education services.