More Than 104,000 Students Start Kurdish Classes in Kirkuk

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - More than 104,000 students will begin the new Kurdish academic year in Kirkuk on Sunday, Oct. 4, with education officials saying preparations are complete and schools have the staff, textbooks and basic classroom supplies needed for the start of classes.

Kamaran Ali, Director of Kurdish Education in Kirkuk, told Kurdistan24's correspondent Hemn Delo that the directorate has completed preparations for the 2026–2027 school year and that Kurdish-language education in the province is progressing at an advanced stage.

Students across different educational levels will attend 562 schools and kindergartens, supported by approximately 8,200 teachers and administrative employees.

Ali said logistical preparations have also been completed, including the provision of 1.2 million textbooks for students during the current academic year.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has pledged additional classroom support, including 1,000 student desks and 500 whiteboards, aimed at improving learning conditions in Kurdish schools across Kirkuk.

According to Ali, the new academic year is beginning without significant shortages that would prevent schools from opening as planned.

He said the KRG had responded to the directorate's requests and provided the support needed to begin the school year.

The director also pointed to growing interest in Kurdish-language education.

He said a significant number of students previously enrolled in Arabic-language schools are transferring to Kurdish-language schools, linking that trend to the academic results achieved by Kurdish students during the previous year.

Ali said the overall pass rate in sixth-grade primary school examinations reached 82 percent.

He also said students studying through Kurdish-language education achieved first and second place at the Iraqi level.

In the first examination round, 140 students achieved distinction, while another 50 students recorded distinction in the second round. Those students were subsequently awarded prizes.

Ali added that 89 Kurdish schools recorded a 100 percent pass rate during the first round of examinations.

He described those results as evidence of progress in the Kurdish education system in Kirkuk and said they had contributed to increased demand from families and students.

The new academic year will therefore begin with both a large student population and expanded expectations following last year's examination performance.

For the Kurdish Education Directorate, the immediate focus is on ensuring that the more than 104,000 students entering classrooms on Sunday have access to teachers, textbooks and functioning educational facilities from the first day of the term.

The figures provided by the directorate also show the scale of the Kurdish education system in Kirkuk, with hundreds of schools operating across the province and thousands of teaching and administrative staff responsible for maintaining the system.

As the school bell rings on Sunday, the directorate says the academic year will begin with preparations completed and with renewed demand for Kurdish-language education following last year's exam results.