Former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. (Creative Commons)

The Associated Press reported Libyan officials said lesson plans would no longer include overblown praise for Gadhafi's accomplishments or characterizations of Italy as "fascist," the U.S. as "Zionist" or the West as a whole as "devilish."

But these factual errors are small potatoes compared with the other issues facing the country that until recently was besieged by an eight-month-long civil war that significantly damaged major cities across the country.

From the AP:

Education Minister Suleiman al-Sahli told reporters in Tripoli Saturday that many schools were damaged in the fighting and more than a dozen were completely destroyed. Elsewhere, crews had to clear land mines from school yards to make them safe for students, he said.

Gadhafi dominated the education system throughout his 42-year rule, which ended when armed rebels stormed into Tripoli in August. Gadhafi was killed in October during his capture by rebels.

The former leader's prominence in teaching materials meant that they had to be thrown out, al-Sahli said. The old history books for example, emphasized Gadhafi's 1969 coup but failed to mention the king he overthrew or Libya's gaining independence from Italy in 1951. All political materials were taken from Gadhafi's largely incomprehensible governmental guide, the "Green Book."

The new materials will give students a more complete education.

"Instead of teaching them the fabricated history of Gadhafi, we will provide the true history of our nation," al-Sahli said.

... Katrin Imhof, a UNICEF education officer, lauded the progress so far, saying the government was adapting to a difficult task.

"Some schools were literally destroyed, and you can't build a new school in two days," she said. "There have to be alternative solutions so all children can get a quality education."

Also according to the AP's report, Education Minister al-Sahil said the school system will look to expanding sports facilities and music programming as part of the overhaul down the line.

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