Starting this year, the Refugee Education Integration Policy (REIP) was introduced to support Syrian refugee children to access quality, inclusive and sustainable education through the public system and to further their integration and participation in community life in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Erbil, 20 September 2022 – Marking the new academic year in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the Ministry of Education of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), jointly with UNICEF, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Save the Children and the education partners launched the “Back to Learning Campaign” to further improve access for out-of-school Iraqi children and welcome refugee children to quality education in public schools. The campaign reaffirms the commitment of UN agencies and partners to support the implementation of the Refugee Education Integration Policy (REIP) that was adopted by the KRG in late 2021. Under the slogan: “Education for All For a Better Future!”, the launch event was held at Bahari nwe school in Erbil, where some Syrian refugee children are now enrolled.
“With the support of our partners, we are committed to reach out to the most vulnerable children and help them realize their dreams of a better future,” said H.E. Alan Hama Sa’eed Salih, Minister of Education of KRG, at the event, emphasizing the importance of all children having equal access to education.
Starting this academic year, all refugee children aged six to nine can register and study in any public school in KRI. The Ministry of Education of the KRI, in cooperation with the Directorates of Education, schools and education partners will ensure access to education for all children in a welcoming learning environment. Children will receive instruction in officially recognized curriculum languages (Sorani, Badini, Assyrian, Turkmen, English and Arabic) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
“Every child has the right to education, formal, non-formal, on-line or in-person education, no matter what their background or situation is. UNICEF wants all children in schools and learning. This also applies to refugees and hence, the implementation of the Refugee Education Integration Policy will give a brighter future to the refugee children. UNICEF will continue to support the Ministry of Education of the KRI to implement this policy, committing to reach all children with quality education,” said Teija Vallandingham, Chief of Education of UNICEF in Iraq. “Inclusion of the refugee children in the education system is one step towards an inclusive society.”
“It is our collective responsibility to exert every effort to pave the way for a better future for displaced children. The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Education shows great leadership by welcoming refugee children to enroll in public schools and qualified refugee teachers to participate in these education efforts. The KRI shows the region and beyond what it means to welcome refugees,” said Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR Representative in Iraq. “Many of the refugee students in KRI were born here after their parents fled their homes in North East Syria in particular ten years ago. Learning alongside their Iraqi Kurdish friends will give them further opportunities to create bonds that will keep communities together.”
“Children are the future of our country and this is our responsibility to ensure that ‘no children is left out from the right to have a potential and better future’ – which can be enabled through bringing them to the school and learning centre throughout this Back to Learning Campaign. As a leading child rights organization, Save the Children believes that education is a fundamental right of children, regardless of their ethnic, religious, migratory, ability/disability status and gender and over the years, Save the Children has supported the right to education for thousands of children including refugees, host communities and Iraqi internally displaced persons by the Da’esh violence,” said Rizgar Al-Jaff, Acting Country Director, Save the Children Iraq. “Save the Children, along with all the education partners, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, must continue their efforts to ensure that all children, without discrimination, from all corners of Iraq, have access to quality education.”
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