ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Almost 900 students from Kirkuk and disputed areas who graduated from Kurdish schools were admitted to universities and institutes across the Kurdistan Region, the Region’s higher education ministry announced on Thursday.

“With the signature of [Minister] Aram Mohammed Qadir, our ministry has approved the admission of 878 students from the cities of Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Sinjar, and all the Kurdistani areas to the universities and institutes of the Kurdistan Region,” read a statement from the Region’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

The admissions came after the ministry opened the Zankoline application portal for students who completed their education in Kurdish school systems outside the Region. A total of 1,305 students submitted their applications, of whom 878 were admitted.

The admissions were based on “the same criteria and minimum admission scores applied to admitted students of the Region, for the 2026-2027 academic year.”

“We hope that during their studies at the universities they will be able to serve our country with knowledge and learning, because the people of these areas are an original and inseparable part of the Kurdistan Region and our homeland,” the statement said.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq have distinct education systems, with differences mainly in school structure, language of instruction, and curriculum.

KRG public schools primarily teach in Kurdish, while Arabic is the main language of instruction in federal Iraqi schools. Both systems teach other languages as well. The KRG curriculum also places emphasis on Kurdish history, geography, and culture.

The Kurdish-language schools in the disputed areas follow the material of the KRG curriculum, while the timelines for the academic year, the model of education, and the style of exams follow the structure of the education system in federal Iraq.

The implemented system in the disputed areas often puts the Kurdish students at a disadvantage, as most high school graduates from these areas have a better chance of being admitted into universities in federal Iraq, where their higher education will be primarily taught in Arabic and often relies on materials that were introduced to students in Arabic schools but not the Kurdish ones.

The new academic year for Kurdish schools in Kirkuk began on October 4, with more than 100,000 students enrolled.

The New Region understands that over 100 schools offering Kurdish education in Kirkuk are in suboptimal conditions, putting their students at risk. The federal education ministry has yet to address the concerns.

Kurdish authorities have for years criticized Baghdad and accused the federal government of lacking the political will to implement Article 140 concerned with disputed areas.

Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution requires the reversal of the Baaathist regime’s Arabization policies and mandates a process to outline a clear and definitive boundary in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad - including Kirkuk - by introducing a referendum to determine the will of the residents living on the lands.