ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Hiwa Institute for the Deaf and Mute in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province welcomed 45 students from elementary to high school in the new academic year. Students say they hope to pursue higher education and careers ranging from politics and law to education, mathematics, and skilled trades. The institute, established in 1983, supports and empowers students, aiming to foster their natural talents. “The children at the Hiwa Institute for the Deaf have the same desires and passions as any other children,” teacher Liza Abdullah told Rudaw's Peshawa Bakhtyar on Tuesday. Asked what he hoped to become after finishing school, one student, Bawan Nazhad, said he wants to become a parliamentarian and serve as a member of parliament in the future. Another student, Shyan Khalat, said she plans to finish university and eventually become “a mathematics teacher." Yad Ahmad also hopes to attend university after completing her senior year to become a lawyer. The ambitions reflect the institute's role in offering a nurturing environment to help students foster and develop skills in various fields of study. Teachers also asked students about careers closer to home. One student said she hopes to become a teacher, while another, Dilshad Omer, said he wants to become a carpenter like his father and eventually work alongside him. During Mohammed's visit on Sunday, she said, “We believe in the abilities of students with disabilities and work for their future," according to a statement on Sunday from the Sulaimani Directorate General for Social Care and Development. The minister congratulated students and teachers on the new academic year and highlighted the role of teachers, particularly those working with students with speech or sensory impairements, according to the statement. She also said the ministry and relevant institutions had taken steps to support and develop the abilities of students and stressed the importance of continuing to provide them with the necessary educational support. Mohammed later toured the institute's classrooms and met students to hear their requests and concerns, the statement said. For the students at Hiwa, the new school year began not only with lessons, but with plans for what follows outside the classroom - a profession and a bright future ahead.
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