KRG announces exceptional measures to support ISIS genocide survivors returning to school

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Education announced a series of decisions to provide "exceptional" facilities to help ISIS genocide survivors return to school.

The Minister of Education, Alan Hama Saeed, said in a press conference that "the decisions entail forming committees by local governments to address the issue, allowing exceptions to the age requirement for returning to school, offering accelerated study programs, and granting all survivors the right to study in private institutes for free after the ninth grade."

In this context, "The names of the survivors have been included in the Kurdistan Regional Government's register in all governorates," he further stressed.

Notably, nearly 2,000 Yezidi children who returned to their families after being held captive by ISIS are experiencing severe physical and mental health crises, Amnesty International reported in 2020.

"Yezidi child survivors were deprived of formal schooling during their years in captivity. Many now miss out on available programs for accelerated learning, either because they are unaware they exist or because they are discouraged by excessive bureaucracy. As a result, many child survivors opt out of the education system entirely. However, experts interviewed by Amnesty International agreed that attending school is essential in helping child survivors overcome their trauma." Amnesty said.