Education in Kurdistan – Iraq : A Significant Mission for KRG
Education in Kurdistan, Iraq, has changed a lot over the last decade and continues to change. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has taken significant steps towards the improvement and modernization of the public education in the three governorates of the autonomous Kurdistan region, while the economic growth of the region, along with its safety and security, has largely contributed to the establishment of numerous international private schools.
If we look at how education was in the region during the Saddam Hussein's regime and how it is now, we can say that the young Kurds of today are lucky to be offered so many opportunities. Of course, this does not mean that there aren't still many things to be done, but further improvements, new solutions, and reform strategies will definitely take more time.
Apart from public education in Kurdistan, there are a large number of private schools in the area, which offer western-type education and attract the children of the numerous expatriates who live in Kurdistan or several upper class Kurdish children. Some of these schools are:
• The American International School
• The British International School
• The German School
• The International MLF French School
• The Choueifat International School
Up to now the KRG has:
• Funded the building of new schools. Since the percentage of young people under the age of 20 in the Kurdistan region is almost 50%, the need for more schools is imperative. Even now with a large number of new schools added, most schools in Kurdistan have so many students that they have to be divided in morning and afternoon shifts.
• Funded the modernization and the renovation of a large number of existing schools. This means new furniture and modern equipment for each of those schools as well as adequate heating in winter and cooling in the summer. Having a pleasant classroom environment and the necessary equipment makes learning more pleasant for students, while at the same time makes easier the difficult task of the teachers.
• Contributed to the constant training of teachers and curriculum improvement. This is of great importance for the Kurdish education system as it is necessary for new and more modern teaching methodologies and technologies to be applied in the classroom. Students have to learn how to have access to sources of information and develop their critical thinking instead of relying solely on their teachers for learning material.
• Funded post-graduate studies abroad. In recent years, there is a significant increase of the funds provided by the government so that post-graduate students will be able to do their Master's or PhD's Degree in major western universities.
Primary and Secondary Education in Kurdistan Iraq
Education for Kurdish children starts at the age of four with two optional pre-school / kindergarten years. At the age of 6, children enter primary school and stay there for 6 years.
The lower cycle of secondary education lasts 3 years and the upper cycle is another 3 years. Secondary education provides children not only with academic but also with vocational qualifications for fields such as agriculture and industry.
Higher Education
With 11 public and 10 licensed private universities, the Kurdistan Region provides plenty of opportunities for higher education. Students have the opportunity to study for their Bachelors, Masters, or PhD's degrees in their own country. However, several students choose to continue their post-graduate studies in European or American universities with the financial help of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
The largest public Universities in the three Kurdistan Governorates are:
• University of Kurdistan Hewler (UKH) – This is the most well-known university in the capital, Erbil. It was opened in 2006 and it is funded by the KRG. It is the only British-style University in Kurdistan and offers degrees in Political Sciences and International Relations, Business and Management, Natural Resources Engineer and Computer Science.
• Salahaddin University in Erbil – Even though it was first established in Sulaymaniyah in 1968, it has operated in the capital, Erbil, since 1982. It offers Colleges in Art, Law and Politics, Engineering, Education, as well as in Management and Economics.
• Sulaymaniyah University – This University was established in 1992 and comprises 7 different Colleges in fields such as Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Agriculture, Chemistry, Horticultural and Crop Sciences, Art, Humanities, as well as Arab and Kurdish Languages.
• Duhok University – Established in 1992, the University in Duhok offers 8 different Colleges in Islamic Studies, Engineering, Management and Economics, Agriculture, Medicine and Arts.
If we look at how education was in the region during the Saddam Hussein's regime and how it is now, we can say that the young Kurds of today are lucky to be offered so many opportunities. Of course, this does not mean that there aren't still many things to be done, but further improvements, new solutions, and reform strategies will definitely take more time.
Apart from public education in Kurdistan, there are a large number of private schools in the area, which offer western-type education and attract the children of the numerous expatriates who live in Kurdistan or several upper class Kurdish children. Some of these schools are:
• The American International School
• The British International School
• The German School
• The International MLF French School
• The Choueifat International School
Up to now the KRG has:
• Funded the building of new schools. Since the percentage of young people under the age of 20 in the Kurdistan region is almost 50%, the need for more schools is imperative. Even now with a large number of new schools added, most schools in Kurdistan have so many students that they have to be divided in morning and afternoon shifts.
• Funded the modernization and the renovation of a large number of existing schools. This means new furniture and modern equipment for each of those schools as well as adequate heating in winter and cooling in the summer. Having a pleasant classroom environment and the necessary equipment makes learning more pleasant for students, while at the same time makes easier the difficult task of the teachers.
• Contributed to the constant training of teachers and curriculum improvement. This is of great importance for the Kurdish education system as it is necessary for new and more modern teaching methodologies and technologies to be applied in the classroom. Students have to learn how to have access to sources of information and develop their critical thinking instead of relying solely on their teachers for learning material.
• Funded post-graduate studies abroad. In recent years, there is a significant increase of the funds provided by the government so that post-graduate students will be able to do their Master's or PhD's Degree in major western universities.
Primary and Secondary Education in Kurdistan Iraq
Education for Kurdish children starts at the age of four with two optional pre-school / kindergarten years. At the age of 6, children enter primary school and stay there for 6 years.
The lower cycle of secondary education lasts 3 years and the upper cycle is another 3 years. Secondary education provides children not only with academic but also with vocational qualifications for fields such as agriculture and industry.
Higher Education
With 11 public and 10 licensed private universities, the Kurdistan Region provides plenty of opportunities for higher education. Students have the opportunity to study for their Bachelors, Masters, or PhD's degrees in their own country. However, several students choose to continue their post-graduate studies in European or American universities with the financial help of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
The largest public Universities in the three Kurdistan Governorates are:
• University of Kurdistan Hewler (UKH) – This is the most well-known university in the capital, Erbil. It was opened in 2006 and it is funded by the KRG. It is the only British-style University in Kurdistan and offers degrees in Political Sciences and International Relations, Business and Management, Natural Resources Engineer and Computer Science.
• Salahaddin University in Erbil – Even though it was first established in Sulaymaniyah in 1968, it has operated in the capital, Erbil, since 1982. It offers Colleges in Art, Law and Politics, Engineering, Education, as well as in Management and Economics.
• Sulaymaniyah University – This University was established in 1992 and comprises 7 different Colleges in fields such as Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Agriculture, Chemistry, Horticultural and Crop Sciences, Art, Humanities, as well as Arab and Kurdish Languages.
• Duhok University – Established in 1992, the University in Duhok offers 8 different Colleges in Islamic Studies, Engineering, Management and Economics, Agriculture, Medicine and Arts.
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