Education

Some services may be temporarily unavailable due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) health measures.

Primary and secondary school

Changes due to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Children in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) can now access a new e-learning site developed by the Ministry of Education: https://www.ewane.krd/.

  • Offers lessons for grades 1-12 in Sorani, Badini, and Arabic for students enrolled in school.
  • Uses videos and text to explain new information about all subjects.
  • Children can access the site online with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
  • Service providers Newroz, Asiacell, Zain, Kurdtel, Tishnet, Alsard, Nurtel, Fastlink, TarinNet and IQ are providing free access to the site. 
  • The Ministry of Education is developing an app to enable children to work offline without internet access.

Refugees and asylum-seeker children with valid residency in Iraq are eligible to approach the Ministry of Education to enrol in public schools at primary and secondary levels free of charge.

  • For children grades 1-3: Ministry of Education will assess grade level and conduct placement.
  • For children grades 4-12: students should bring a certificate from their country of origin indicating their grade level to the Ministry of Education, which will conduct placement.
  • For those in Bardarash camp: school facilities are under construction. Catch-up classes and other informal programmes are available through UNHCR partners.

Additionally, various informal education programmes are available for children and adolescents, including:

  • Catch up classes: attached to the formal education program, for out-of-camp children
  • Technical Vocational Education Trainings: targeting out-of-school adolescents
  • Early Child Care Development: for pre-school age children and beginners

Higher education

Refugees and asylum-seekers can access tertiary education as foreign students.

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI): Per government directive, unless a refugee or asylum-seeker student completed their secondary schooling in KRI, those wishing to enrol in a KRI university must first equalize their school certificates from their country of origin. Equalization requires:

  • Acquisition of official certificates for years 9, 10, 11, and 12 stamped by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of their country of origin, and by the Iraq Embassy in their country of origin.
  • Submission of all stamped certificates to the Ministry of Education, Department of Examinations, for review.

Additionally, UNHCR supports a small number of DAFI scholars, with support of the German government. Learn more about the DAFI programme here.

Central and Southern governorates: Enrollment in higher education similarly requires equalization of certificates for those who completed secondary school studies outside of Iraq.

Those who have completed their secondary school in Iraq can enrol in public universities.

For more information or to seek assistance: consult UNHCR and/or NGO partners about available resources or call the Helpline free of charge at 80069999.