Peregraf
The Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education has reversed its controversial decision banning Kurdish students from answering exam questions in their mother tongue at universities in Kirkuk, Mosul, and Diyala, following political pressure and public outcry.
In a statement released today by the Iraqi Ministry of Justice, it was announced that the Minister of Justice held a phone call with the Minister of Higher Education regarding the ministry’s recent directive mandating the use of Arabic or English only in university exams. The outcome of the conversation affirmed that examinations will continue under the previous system, which permits students to answer in Kurdish.
“The examinations will be conducted according to the same mechanism as in previous years,” the statement read, signaling a return to the 2010 policy that allowed Kurdish-language responses with translation support for evaluation.
Kurdish officials welcomed the reversal. MP Delan Ghafoor, a representative from Kirkuk, told Peregraf that she had raised the issue directly with the Minister of Higher Education.
“We strongly reject the decision of the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education that does not allow Kurdish students in Kirkuk, Mosul and Diyala universities to answer exam questions in Kurdish,” she said. “Today we spoke with the minister and insisted on allowing answers in Kurdish. He promised to resolve the issue by continuing the previous mechanism.”
The now-suspended ban, which had been issued in mid-July, applied to both public and private universities across the three provinces and had threatened legal consequences for non-compliance. The directive had sparked outrage among students, rights groups, and lawmakers, who argued it violated Iraq’s 2005 constitution, which recognizes Kurdish as an official language alongside Arabic.
Critics had warned that the move undermined linguistic rights and equitable access to education for Kurdish students in multilingual regions.
With the ministry’s backtrack, Kurdish students in Kirkuk, Mosul, and Diyala will now be allowed once again to take their exams in Kurdish—a development viewed as a win for constitutional rights and educational inclusivity.