Iraqi PM Stresses Need to Support Arab Schools in Kurdistan Region

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with the federal minister of education and the Minister of Education of the Kurdistan Regional Government on Sunday to discuss challenges facing the educational system in the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq. The meeting comes amidst protests over the closure of Iraqi education offices in the region.

During the meeting, al-Sudani emphasized the importance of providing necessary resources to continue education for Arab school students in the Kurdistan Region. He called for developing alternative solutions to enable these students to proceed with the current and future academic years without disruption.

The Prime Minister also stressed the need to support the educational community in order to achieve educational goals and deliver services to all students in Iraq. He said this is part of the government's overall strategy for the education sector.

The meeting reviewed cooperation efforts between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Education. The aim is to ensure the continued effective implementation of curriculum according to the academic year's timeline in both the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq.

Why this matters: The meeting and the Prime Minister's statements highlight the ongoing challenges in providing equal access to education for all students in Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan Region. Resolving issues around Arab schools is important for ensuring social cohesion and stability.

An official statement after the meeting said, "The Prime Minister directed the relevant authorities to intensify their efforts and cooperation to overcome any obstacles facing the educational process in the region and all of Iraq." Both the federal and regional education ministers pledged to work together to address the situation of the Arab schools and implement the Prime Minister's directives to support students and the education system overall.

Key Takeaways

• Iraqi PM met with federal and Kurdistan education ministers to discuss challenges.
• PM emphasized providing resources for Arab students in Kurdistan Region.
• PM stressed need to support education community to achieve goals nationwide.
• Cooperation efforts between federal and Kurdistan education ministries reviewed.
• PM directed authorities to overcome obstacles facing education in Iraq.