EDUCATION FOR ALL, FOR A BETTER FUTURE.
The Refugee Education Integration Policy, “REIP”, is a policy developed by the Kurdistan Regional Government with support from the UN Agencies and education partners to ensure that refugee and asylum seeker children have access to quality education on an equal basis as host community children.
The REIP aims to maintain the resilience of refugees and asylum seekers during long-term displacement, and improve opportunities for social cohesion with host communities, to allow all children and youth in crisis-affected areas to access opportunities for qualifications and skills acquisition that lead to self-actualization, civic participation, and economic inclusion.
The REIP focuses on integrating refugees and asylum seekers into the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by ensuring that children have the best possible start to integrate into Kurdish society. It allows children to learn the language by following the same curriculum as Kurdish children, foster relationships with Kurdish children by attending the same schools and have equal opportunities as Kurdish children.
Access to inclusive and equitable quality education in national system creates conditions in which children and youth can learn, thrive, and develop their potential; build individual and collective resilience; experience and negotiate peaceful coexistence; and contribute to their societies. Inclusion is the best option for refugees and asylum seekers children and youth and their hosting communities.
Inclusive and equitable access to quality education is necessary for self-reliance. Access to quality primary education will allow young refugee women and men to continue secondary education, enroll in technical and vocational education and training as well as higher education programmes, gaining additional qualifications for work.
The Refugee Education Integration Policy came into effect with the start of the academic school year 2022/2023 and the implementation will continue through the academic school year of 2023/2024. Refugee and asylum seeker children in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq were enrolled in Government schools in camp and urban settings.
For more information about the RIEP including the 2023-2024 academic year, consult with the FAQs.
Frequently asked questions
Refugees and asylum-seeker children have a right to access quality education. With valid residency in Iraq, they are eligible to approach the Ministry of Education to enrol in public schools at primary and secondary levels free of charge.
• For children grades 1-5: Ministry of Education will assess grade level and conduct placement.
• For children grades 6-12: students should bring certificates from their country of origin indicating their grade level to the Ministry of Education, which will conduct placement.
• For those in Bardarash camp: school facilities are under construction. Catch-up classes and other informal programmes are available through UNHCR partners.
Additionally, various informal education programmes are available for children and adolescents, including:
- Catch up classes: attached to the formal education program, for out-of-camp children
- Technical Vocational Education Trainings: targeting out-of-school adolescents
- Early Child Care Development: for pre-school age children and beginners
- E-Learning: children in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) can access an e-learning site developed by the Ministry of Education: https://www.ewane.krd/, which offers lessons for grades 1-12 in Sorani, Badini, and Arabic for students enrolled in school.