Iraq exempts Kurdish schools in Khanaqin from merger, closure orders

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Federal Education Ministry has exempted Kurdish-language schools in Khanaqin district of Diyala province from a nationwide order to merge or close schools, preserving their existing structure, lawmaker Sarwa Mohammed Rashid said. The ministry granted the exception to safeguard the political distinctiveness and constitutional rights of Khanaqin, a district that falls within the areas covered by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, Rashid added. According to the lawmaker, the decision is also intended to ensure continuity of educational processes and maintain the district's established teaching arrangements. Issues previously faced by the Kurdish-language education unit within the Diyala Provincial Directorate of Education have been resolved, and the unit is expected to receive broader support in the coming period, she said. Rashid said the exemption would have a positive effect on the educational environment in Khanaqin, strengthening Kurdish-language instruction and protecting students' rights. The decision comes after long-standing demands from local education and political circles in the district to preserve Kurdish schools.