ERBIL — The new academic year has started in the disputed Kurdish province of Kirkuk and across Iraq, but concerns persist over the marginalization of Kurdish education in Kirkuk since 2017.

Kamaran Ali, the director of Kurdish education in Kirkuk, told Kurdistan 24 that 100,000 students are currently enrolled in Kurdish-language schools, including 10,000 first-year students. Ali commended the recent recruitment of 1,100 teachers and the distribution of nearly one million textbooks, accomplishments made possible through the support of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the Ministry of Education.

However, he also raised concerns about the challenges Kurdish education continues to face. "We have faced marginalization and exclusion from Kirkuk since 2017," Ali said, urging the provincial council and the newly appointed governor to address the issue.

He emphasized the importance of protecting Kurdish education in areas outside the Kurdistan Region, as outlined in Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution.

Despite these obstacles, the Kurdish Education Directorate in Kirkuk oversees 555 schools and kindergartens, supported by more than 8,000 teachers and staff, all of whom are paid by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). This reflects the KRG’s commitment to preserving the Kurdish language and culture in Kirkuk, despite political and administrative challenges.

As the new academic year unfolds, the situation highlights the ongoing efforts to maintain and strengthen Kurdish education in Kirkuk and the need for continued support to ensure Kurdish students receive quality education in their native language.