Kurdistan Region opens schools for 2025–2026 academic year

KURDISTAN REGION — About 1.8 million students returned to classrooms Sunday as the Kurdistan Regional Government marked the start of the 2025–2026 school year, the Department of Media and Information said.

The department reported that 143,000 children are entering school for the first time, beginning first grade. Classes are being taught by 161,522 teachers across 7,567 schools.

The opening of the academic year coincided with the fourth anniversary of the decision granting Zakho administrative autonomy, a status above district level but below governorate, which was approved on Sept. 20, 2021.

To mark the occasion, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed rang the school bell at Dimdim School in Zakho.