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040 – Kurdistan’s Inclusive Education Pilot Programme of 2007, Iraq
Responsible body: Ministry of Education and UNICEF
Country of implementation: Iraq (Kurdish Region)
Beneficiaries targeted: Children with disabilities
SUMMARY
In 2007, Kurdistan’s Inclusive Education Pilot Programme, which had been developed by UNICEF and local disabled
peoples organisations, became officially part of the Ministry of Education in the Kurdish Region of Iraq, who took
(partially) over the costs for financing the programme on inclusive education. Since then considerable steps towards
inclusive education have been made.
CONTEXT/P ROBLEMS TARGETED (WITH ADDITIONS FROM THE ZERO P ROJECT T EAM)
Although some children with disabilities were attending public schools, there was no structure to support them or
ensure their access to teaching and learning. Children with disabilities were also routinely denied access to schools due
to lack of awareness and lack of resources, support or expertise.
UNESCO reports that prior to the Gulf War I in 1990/1 Iraq had one of the best educational performances in the region.
During the last two decades, due to war and instability, the educational system downgraded. Rebuilding Iraq’s
educational system in the complex, difficult and unstable post-armed conflict situation is a challenge, especially
confronting Iraq in responding to the immediate and residual effects of sanctions and warfare on the education of
children and young people, particularly in relation to significant numbers of children with difficulties who, historically,
have been excluded from schooling entirely. Meanwhile at national level no steps towards inclusive education have
been undertaken, the Kurdish regional government has already taken some steps, which are, however, at an early stage
and the educational infrastructure faces similar challenges to those in the rest of the country.
In year, UNICEF and local DPOs developed a pilot programme on inclusive education which was implemented. In 2007,
the Ministry of Education of Iraq in the Kurdish Region took (partially) over the costs for the pilot programme on
inclusive education that UNICEF and local DPOs initiated. Since Iraq is a federal State, the overall policies and budget
are coordinated at the federal level and education policy is monitored by each governorate. Meanwhile inclusive
education programmes were also implemented in other regions of Iraq, the most promising results were achieved in the
Kurdish Region. Mostly, workshop and training of teachers were organized, and the number of children with disabilities
in mainstream classroom increased.
In 2012, UNESCO started an inclusive education initiative in partnership with the Government of Iraq, which targets out
of school children, often children with disabilities.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
To initiate and develop a programme, policy and capacity in the Ministry of Education in the Kurdish Region of Iraq to
ensure access to public schools and general classrooms for children with disabilities.