Kirkuk education directorate denies kinship claims over top-scoring siblings

KIRKUK, Iraq — The Kirkuk Provincial Directorate of Education has rejected social media claims that the head of an exam center was related to three siblings who achieved a 100% success rate in middle school examinations. In a statement, the directorate said the allegations were unfounded, adding that the exam center director, Qaysar Hasan Abdullah, was assigned to the post under an administrative order from the directorate and has no family ties to the students. The statement said the three high-achieving students are siblings and that their success reflects a family tradition rather than coincidence. It noted that their older brother also recorded a 100% success rate in the previous academic year and was awarded by the Iraqi prime minister. The directorate condemned what it described as a smear campaign against the students and their family, saying it amounted to an attempt to cast doubt on the transparency of the examination process. It announced that legal action would be pursued against those spreading false information. The three siblings, from the Hawijah district in Kirkuk governorate, placed among the top scorers nationwide in the middle school exam results, the directorate said.