In scenes replicated across the Kurdistan Region, pupils returned to Hamdi Elementary School in Erbil's Kurdistan neighborhood on Saturday for the 2019-2020 academic year.

According to data from the Education Ministry, some 1.7 million pupils and students are heading back to school. 

"Studying marks the beginning of your life and everybody's personality begins at school," said Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani at a primary school in Duhok. "The future of this country is in your hands. If you educate yourselves well, a better country will be established."

Barzani added that the KRG's agenda is to improve the education sector by building new school facilities for its growing school-age population and curriculum improvements.

"We are also calling on the rich, businessmen and investors of Kurdistan to help contribute in building studying facilities in order to better serve the beloved pupils," he added.

Photos by Mohammed Shwani