Local
The Iraqi Ministry of Education announced on Friday the achievements of its "Return to Education" campaign, launched in 2024, revealing the re-enrollment of 92,843 children in schools. This collaboration with UNICEF is part of ongoing efforts to combat school dropout rates across the country. The Ministry is planning a new phase of the campaign, targeting the integration of over 150,000 dropout children into the educational process during the 2026-2027 academic year. In this context, the Minister of Education, Abdul Karim Abtan al-Jubouri, directed the development and expansion of the campaign's mechanisms. This directive was issued during a two-day national program workshop held in Sulaymaniyah, which saw broad participation from experts and directors-general of education, alongside direct interest from the Prime Minister. The Ministry's efforts are based on precise, evidence-based monitoring to diagnose dropout cases and their root causes, aiming to reduce them and reintegrate children into appropriate educational pathways that meet their needs. These efforts are accompanied by intensified media and community awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of education. Furthermore, the Ministry launched a centralized electronic platform dedicated to registering data for dropout and re-enrolled children, categorized by governorates, ages, and academic stages. This platform aims to effectively track the return of these children through directorates and schools and also includes detailed data on the reasons for dropping out and the fundamental obstacles affecting the quality of education. The workshop in Sulaymaniyah reviewed the main results and challenges facing the campaign, discussing ways to unify partners' efforts and mechanisms for continuing this vital program.
