Kurdish Student Barred From Education in Kirkuk Over Kurdistan Flag Drawing
A Kurdish ninth-grade student in Kirkuk was expelled after drawing the Kurdistan flag during an art exam. The Kurdistan Region’s education minister pledged to cover his education costs and ensure he does not lose his right to schooling.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A classroom drawing in Kirkuk has escalated into a case drawing regional attention, after a Kurdish student was barred from continuing his education and referred to an investigative committee over an expressive artwork depicting the Kurdistan flag.
According to details circulated by news platforms, the student, identified as Diar Khalil, is enrolled in the ninth grade (third intermediate year) at Ajil Nasr School in Kirkuk, a non-governmental school operating under the federal education system and following the Arabic curriculum. During an art education exam, the student drew the Kurdistan flag, wrote the word “Kurdistan” in English, and added the slogan “2+2=1.”
The slogan carries political and national symbolism among Kurds, representing aspirations for the unity of the four parts of Kurdistan as a single entity.
Leaked images of the drawing showed a red-ink notation reading “referred to an investigation committee,” a measure later confirmed by the student’s mother in press statements. She said the action went beyond disciplinary procedures and directly affected her son’s academic future.
“Because my son drew the Kurdistan flag, a red mark was placed on his academic file,” the mother said. “This procedure prevented him from being accepted into any other school, threatening his educational future with loss.”
The student was reportedly rejected by his art teacher, an investigative committee was formed, and—according to his mother—he was ultimately expelled from the school.
The incident occurred amid politically and administratively sensitive conditions in the Kurdistani Territories Outside KRG's Administrative Control like the city of Kirkuk, where restrictions have been imposed on the display of Kurdish flags and symbols in government institutions and schools affiliated with the federal Ministry of Education since the events of October 2017.
Reacting on the matter, Minister of Education of the Kurdistan Regional Government, addressed the case, stating that the decision to expel the student was unacceptable.
He said that once the issue reached him, he immediately instructed Mamosta Kamran, Director of Kurdish Education, to take action and engage with the Kirkuk General Directorate of Education under the federal government. According to Hama Saeed, discussions were held, and federal officials pledged that the issue would be resolved the following day and that an investigation would be conducted into the school’s actions.
Hama Saeed also announced that he had decided to personally cover the student’s education expenses as a form of support.
“I assure everyone that this child will not remain without education,” he said, adding that the case would be resolved. He further stated that all Kurdish schools affiliated with the Kurdistan Regional Government in Kirkuk remain open and available.
As of the time of publishing, no official statement has been issued by the Kirkuk Directorate of Education clarifying the final outcome of the investigation or the student’s formal academic status.
Updated on Jan. 28, 2025, at 5:41 pm.