Iraq's Education Ministry to release admission criteria for gifted schools

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Education is finalizing the admission criteria for schools serving gifted and high-achieving students and will publish them in the coming days, ministry spokesman Karim al-Sayyid said. The criteria will be set according to academic performance and the ministry's education policy, he added. Al-Sayyid said the ministry plans to open additional gifted schools in new areas. He noted that no curriculum changes are expected for the next academic year, with adjustments limited to existing regulations. On textbooks, al-Sayyid said the Council of Ministers has authorized the ministry to tender the printing contract. He added that officials are working against the clock to deliver the books to students by September. Despite this year's budget being roughly one third of the previous allocation, the ministry is attempting to print the same number of copies, and the curriculum will reach students at the start of the new school year, according to the spokesman.