Kurdistan Region applies distance learning for first half of new academic year

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Distance learning will be applied across the Kurdistan Region’s educational institutions, except for the 12th grade, for the first semester of this year’s academic year, the regional council of ministers announced on Wednesday.

Higher educational institutions along with schools will begin their academic year via e-learning for the first semester of 2020-2021 as coronavirus cases surge daily in the region, a statement from the council of ministers noted.

The council made the decision “after assessing all the options and due to ongoing coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region.”

The council also delegated the authority to relevant ministries to “announce an academic calendar” for the first half of the academic year, the statement noted, as the date for opening schools and universities have not been set yet.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chaired the council’s meeting alongside his deputy Qubad Talabani. The meeting was also attended by the regional health and education authorities.

Since late February, educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities across the Kurdistan Region have been shut down as part of attempts by the KRG to mitigate the risk posed by COVID-19, a highly contagious disease that can spread quickly in crowded buildings and during other public gatherings.

In late April, the KRG Minister of Education implemented an e-school program for grades one through 12 to help students keep up their studies during the anti-coronavirus curfew that has closed learning centers throughout the autonomous region.

Read More: Kurdistan announces e-school initiative to restart classes amid COVID-19 curfew

Closures of educational institutions in Iraq have disrupted the education of around 11 million Iraqi students, according to the United Nations. As of April 2020, 1.6 billion children and youth were out of school.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany