Kurdish Student From Kirkuk Tops Iraq With Perfect Score in National Exams

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A Kurdish-language student from Kirkuk has secured first place nationwide in Iraq's final high school examinations with a perfect score, earning praise from the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Ministry of Education as a landmark achievement for Kurdish education.

Nivar Bakhtiar Adel, a student at Shirin Preparatory School for Kurdish Studies in Kirkuk and the daughter of a Peshmerga fighter, scored 100 out of 100 in Iraq's Grade 12 national examinations, making her the top-performing student across the country's Ministry of Education.

KRG Minister of Education Alan Hama Saeed on Wednesday congratulated Nivar, her family, and her school in remarks to Kurdistan24, describing her success as a source of pride for the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdish-language education system in Kirkuk.

"We are proud of you," Saeed said. "Kirkuk holds a special place, and we are honored that you achieved a perfect score and ranked first across Iraq's Ministry of Education."

The minister announced that the ministry would present Nivar with a special award through Kamaran, the supervisor of Kurdish-language education in Kirkuk, in recognition of her outstanding accomplishment.

Saeed also praised the dedication of Kurdish-language teachers, emphasizing that the ministry has a special program to support top-performing students. He pledged that the KRG Ministry of Education would continue providing all possible assistance to outstanding students in Kirkuk and other Kurdish-populated areas outside the Kurdistan Region's administration.

Speaking to Kurdistan24, Nivar expressed gratitude to her teachers and the staff of Shirin Preparatory School for their role in helping her achieve the remarkable result.

Reflecting on the secret behind her success, she said she dramatically reduced her use of social media during the school year.

"I only use social media during the summer to pass the time," she said. "Once school started and I realized it was taking too much of my time, I deleted all my accounts except Telegram, which I kept only to communicate with my teachers and ask questions."

Nivar said she had expected to score 99, making the perfect mark of 100 a complete surprise.

She also revealed that the first person to share the news of her achievement was her father, a Peshmerga fighter, making the moment especially meaningful for her family.

Her accomplishment marks one of the highest academic achievements for a Kurdish-language student in Iraq and highlights the continued success of Kurdish education in Kirkuk, where Kurdish schools operate despite longstanding political and administrative challenges.