Iraq’s school year moved again to October 1 following earlier delay

BAGHDAD — The Education Ministry has brought the start of the school year forward to Oct. 1, ten days after postponing it to Oct. 11, and nine days before the examination round it gave as the reason for the delay is due to finish.

The change followed the completion of preparations, the ministry said, including readying schools and providing educational and administrative supplies. It “decided to bring forward the start of official school attendance for the 2026-2027 academic year to Oct. 1, instead of the previously scheduled date, after completing its preparations,” it said, with Education Minister Abdul Karim Abtan al-Jubouri instructing directorates to implement it.

The year was originally to begin on Sept. 20. Spokesperson Karim al-Sayyid rejected claims on Tuesday that the postponement was linked to security developments or the Sept. 30 end of the coalition mission, saying it was driven by examination schedules, deteriorating school buildings, power cuts, high temperatures and requests from families and staff. He said second-round examinations run to Sept. 24 and a special round from Sept. 26 to Oct. 10, and that the ministry relies on returned textbooks for about 80% of its curriculum supplies.

Schools will now open while that second round is still under way. The ministry has not said how the two will run alongside each other.

Basra’s Education Directorate warned private schools on Wednesday that they faced deterrent penalties if they opened before the official date, after some told pupils to come in early.

Schools in the Kurdistan Region opened on Sept. 20 as planned. More than 12 million pupils attend school in federal Iraq.