1.3 Million Students Sit Exams Across Kurdistan
The large-scale academic undertaking underscores both the scope of the Kurdistan Region’s public education system and the institutional efforts to reintegrate thousands of students who had previously dropped out.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a powerful display of the region's educational mobilization, more than 1.3 million students across the Kurdistan Region sat for the first round of final examinations for the second semester on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
The large-scale academic undertaking underscores both the scope of the Kurdistan Region’s public education system and the institutional efforts to reintegrate thousands of students who had previously dropped out.
According to figures from the General Directorate of Examinations, which operates under the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Education, a total of 1,387,895 students are participating in the exams.
The exams, which are specifically for non-final-grade students, begin daily at 08:00 a.m. and will continue until Monday, May 26, 2025.
Officials have stated that once the results of this first round are published, the Ministry of Education will release the schedule for the second round of examinations covering both the first and second semesters.
The Ministry of Education reports that there are currently more than 7,370 schools across the Kurdistan Region’s cities and towns, 6,863 of which are public institutions. This expansive infrastructure reflects the region’s continued investment in public education, even as it grapples with broader socio-economic challenges.
Over the past four years, the KRG’s “Back to School” program has made notable strides in addressing school dropout rates and combating child labor.
The initiative has successfully returned over 33,300 children to the classroom, affirming the government’s commitment to inclusive and sustained education for all segments of Kurdish society.
The ongoing examinations represent more than an academic ritual—they are a collective affirmation of the region’s enduring dedication to learning, opportunity, and human development.
As classrooms fill with students across the Kurdistan Region, the Ministry of Education’s infrastructure and outreach programs remain central to cultivating the next generation of Kurdish thinkers, workers, and leaders.
