6,000 school-leavers return to classrooms in Kirkuk through ‘Back to Education’ campaign

KIRKUK — The Iraqi Ministry of Education announced Monday that 6,000 students who had previously dropped out have returned to school in Kirkuk under the “Back to Education” campaign. This initiative, conducted in partnership with UNICEF, deployed mobile teams to encourage parents to re-enroll their children in school.

“A total of 6,000 students who had dropped out have returned to their studies, joining their peers as part of the Back to Education campaign in Kirkuk,” the ministry’s statement read. The mobile teams reached 8,919 dropouts across Kirkuk, successfully persuading families to support their children’s return to education. The campaign, backed by a broad government support framework, operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNICEF.

The ministry reported that 1,949 students re-enrolled in formal education, 1,236 joined accelerated learning programs, and 3,087 are now participating in external education programs, bringing the total number of returning students to 6,272.

UNICEF data from 2021 indicated that approximately 3.2 million Iraqi children had dropped out of school. In response, the Ministry of Education, in partnership with UNICEF, has intensified efforts to address the dropout crisis, aiming to re-enroll children and improve educational access to keep students engaged in their studies.