By Mustafa Wshyar
Following the 1991 Shia uprising against Saddam Hussein in Iraq, no efforts were made to update or replace the school textbooks in the de-facto semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRI). However, one physical modification was made, the removal of an image of the Ba’ath Party and the Iraqi president from the first pages of each book. Beginning in 2003, the KRI’s curriculum underwent significant changes, focusing on modernising both the content and appearance of educational materials. Despite these advancements, there remain gaps in pedagogical and learning elements that need to be addressed to further align the curriculum with the social and cultural norms of both the KRI and Iraq more broadly.
Following the removal of Saddam Hussein post-2003, a more inclusive educational curriculum was, and is, urgently needed to aid in rebuilding the nation and fostering harmony among its diverse ethnic and religious communities. Iraqi society has long been plagued by deep social divisions, a challenge that persists to this day. Education has the potential to serve as a cornerstone for promoting coexistence and social cohesion. However, achieving this requires a well-structured national educational strategy that involves collaboration at political and policymaking levels. Such a strategy must actively engage representatives from all ethnic and religious backgrounds to ensure inclusivity and equity. While this piece focuses primarily on the KRI, the broader social structure of Iraq suggests that many of these observations are equally applicable nationwide.
Given the complexity and scale of developing a comprehensive strategy, this discussion narrows its focus to a micro-element of the curriculum: school textbooks, specifically the use of stories within them. In the Kurdish Studies textbooks used in KRI schools, stories are a primary teaching tool. These narratives often centre on Kurdish national identity and, to some extent, address behavioural and attitudinal lessons. While it is natural for Kurdish Studies textbooks to emphasise national identity and foundational learning, there is an opportunity to expand their scope. Why not utilize these stories to introduce students to the region’s diverse ethnic and religious minorities? Such an initiative could receive positive support from policymakers and decision-makers in the region, who have historically expressed a commitment to inclusivity and coexistence.
Reflecting on my own lived experience underscores the importance of teaching children about diversity from an early age. For example, during my childhood following a trip to Koya city, I recall encountering the name “Patros” for the first time. Intrigued, I initially assumed the individual was a foreigner, only to later learn that he was born and raised in Harmota, a village just a short drive from the city. Similarly, I remember witnessing the curiosity of a young child seeing a church for the first time in Erbil city where such religious buildings were rare. These moments highlight the importance of introducing children to the diverse cultural and religious landscapes of their region during early education. While it is not necessary to delve deeply into these differences, fostering awareness of their existence is crucial.
There are various educational methods for teaching students about diversity, such as organising school visits to cultural and religious centres. However, given current logistical and social challenges, these methods may not be feasible. Instead, integrating stories about regional diversity into school textbooks offers an effective and practical alternative. By including narratives that feature characters from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, educators can foster awareness and appreciation for the rich diversity of the KRI. This approach represents a macro-level strategy that can be implemented relatively easily by incorporating a few carefully crafted stories into the curriculum.
The theoretical foundation for this approach lies in narrative learning, which explores how individuals gain knowledge and understanding through the stories they hear and share. Building on this framework, my recent research investigated what students in the early years of schooling could learn from the stories in Kurdish Studies textbooks, particularly during the first three years of education in the KRI. The findings were encouraging—these textbooks have seen considerable improvements in both content and formatting compared to those from the 1990s. However, there remains room to enhance their role in promoting social cohesion and coexistence. By dedicating space in these stories to themes of diversity and inclusion, the curriculum could prepare students from an early age to embrace differences and interact harmoniously with others later in life.
As part of my research, I analysed the stories in these textbooks to identify their characters, images, and underlying messages. The results revealed that all the characters bear Kurdish names, with no references to Arabic, Turkmen, or Assyrian/Chaldean names. Similarly, the content makes no effort to address coexistence or the acceptance of differences. Even sensitive historical topics, such as the civil conflicts within the region, are omitted. While it is understandable to avoid controversial issues, these omissions also represent missed opportunities to use stories as a tool for teaching acceptance and learning from past mistakes. The images in the textbooks similarly reflect a Kurdish-centric narrative, with no visual representations of diverse communities. For instance, including an image of Ankawa, a district in Erbil known for its linguistic, religious and cultural diversity, could serve as a subtle but effective way to introduce students to the region’s multicultural character.
The KRI government has made commendable strides in making education accessible in different languages and accommodating religious perspectives. However, it is equally important to ensure that students in the mainstream education system are exposed to the region’s diversity. This exposure will help prevent instances where language, locations, or cultural elements feel alien to them as they grow and interact with a wider range of people. Updating textbooks to include narratives and imagery that reflect the region’s diversity is a relatively simple solution, as these materials are periodically revised. A dedicated committee within the General Directorate of Curriculum and Programs at the Ministry of Education in the KRI could oversee this initiative, recommending the inclusion of a few stories and images that highlight the history, religion, geography, and cultural contributions of minority communities.
By integrating such narratives, the curriculum can take an important step toward fostering a more inclusive and cohesive society. Stories are a powerful tool for teaching children about the world around them, and their potential to instil values of acceptance and coexistence should not be underestimated.
Any opinions expressed in this, or any other blog post on this website, are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the Education, Peace and Politics organisation.
