[56935] Education System Updates: Concessions for Iraqi Students and New Timetables in the Palestinian Authority

Education System Updates: Iraq and Judea & Samaria

As part of the preparations for the end of the 2025–2026 school year, several media channels in Iraq, including واحد العراق, جريدة الصباح العراقية, وكالة بغداد اليوم الاخبارية, and الترا عراق, reported on the Ministry of Education's decision to grant significant concessions to students. According to the reports, it was decided to add five bonus points to the exam grades of fifth-grade elementary students, as well as intermediate and high school students (including vocational and arts tracks). In addition, the Ministry of Education is allowing a second chance (second round) for students in the first four years of elementary school who failed the first-round exams, regardless of the number of subjects they did not pass.

Simultaneously, in the Palestinian arena, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Sadiq al-Khadour, published a statement via Jenin News | أخبار جنين, clarifying the updated timetable. According to al-Khadour, it was decided to cancel the extension of the school year, so it will officially end on June 05, 2026, and the summer vacation will begin on June 06, 2026. The 'Tawjihi' exams (matriculation exams) are scheduled to begin on June 20, 2026.

al-Khadour emphasized that the decision was made in an attempt to "balance the student's interest with the teacher's rights," noting that the issue of matriculation exams remains under overall responsibility with the aim of removing it from the cycle of political exploitation. It was further noted that the Ministry is currently examining the operation of summer camps in a school format to address the "educational gap" that formed during the year.