Kurdistan Region’s education ministries have suspended all academic examinations for one week due to regional security instability. The decision effects universities, schools, and educational institutions across government and private sectors, with different ministries adopting varying approaches to the suspension.
Higher Education Ministry Halts University Examinations
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced the suspension of all examinations at government and private universities for one week. Minister Aram Mohammed Qader issued the directive citing instability in the regional security situation, leading to the postponement of first and second semester academic processes and examinations.
The suspension encompasses undergraduate and graduate studies across all universities and educational centers under the ministry’s jurisdiction, as well as other government and private institutions. This comprehensive measure affects the entire higher education sector throughout the Kurdistan Region.
Basic Education Ministry Postpones School Examinations
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Education decided to postpone all examinations due to regional conditions, announcing that next week will see the resumption of testing according to a new schedule. The ministry stated that in the public interest, all examinations scheduled for this week, beginning Saturday, June 14, 2025, would be delayed.
The postponement affects government and non-government schools, including international private institutions. Specifically impacted are 12th-grade preparatory examinations across all departments and second-semester examinations for both government and private schools. The ministry emphasized that no examinations will be conducted at any educational center under its authority during this period.
Students will be informed of the new examination schedule through official announcements from the ministry. This decision reflects the government’s priority in ensuring student safety and maintaining educational standards during uncertain times.
Religious Affairs Ministry Maintains Original Schedule
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Religious Endowments announced that examinations for schools under its jurisdiction will proceed according to their original predetermined schedule. This ministry has chosen not to follow the suspension implemented by other educational authorities.
In their official statement, the ministry confirmed that all schools under their supervision will continue with general 12th-grade first-semester examinations, national 9th-grade second-semester examinations, and second-semester examinations for incomplete grades according to the established timetable without postponement.
The ministry’s decision to maintain the examination schedule demonstrates the autonomous nature of different educational authorities within the Kurdistan Region and their individual assessment of security conditions affecting their institutions.
The contrasting approaches between the three ministries highlight the complex administrative structure of Kurdistan Region’s educational system, where different authorities operate with varying degrees of independence in their decision-making processes regarding academic scheduling and security considerations.
