One Boy’s Return to School Rekindles Three Dreams
One child’s return to the classroom is inspiring a family and showing how Iraq’s nationwide Back-to-Learning campaign is turning lost education opportunities into new beginnings.
ANBAR, Iraq – At 13, Suhaib Jihad Khalaf Shatran is back where he belongs, in a classroom at Salah al-Din School in Ramadi. Returning to school has brought him more than lessons. It has brought new friendships, renewed confidence and a fresh chance to pursue his dream.
Suhaib lives in Albu Assaf, Al-Jazeera, in Anbar Governorate. Like many children whose schooling has been interrupted, he needed someone to believe in him and help him return to school. The Back-to-Learning campaign, run by the Ministry of Education with UNICEF support, gave him both.
“It feels great to be back in school. I have new friends now, and I can start a new life,” Suhaib says.
That new beginning is already taking shape. Suhaib dreams of becoming a medical doctor. Now that he is back in the classroom, learning, growing, and planning for the future, that dream feels possible again.
“I encourage other children because this is the future of all young people, not just the future of one. Studying and learning build the future of an entire generation.”
One return, three renewed dreams
Suhaib’s return to school is driven by a mother determined to keep her children learning. Seeing them in school brings her both pride and peace of mind.
“By the grace of God, we are happy, and this is the sweetest thing in our family. I am happy that my children are in school. It is better than sitting idle without access to education, which is fundamental to children’s lives,” she says.
Her support is practical and consistent. “I follow up with him regularly. I talk to the principal of his school about his presence in the classroom,” she explains. “I show him my presence in his life by supporting him in doing his homework.”
Suhaib’s example has also inspired his 14-year-old sister, Malak Jihad Khalaf Shatran.
“I am so glad and happy that my brother encouraged me to return to school as a result of the Back-to-Learning campaign,” Malak says. “My dream is to become a lawyer.”
Their older sister, 18-year-old Tiba Jihad Khalaf Shatran, has joined them in returning to education.
“I insist on not being hindered from returning to school. My brother encourages me to return to school. I want to become a surgeon and serve my community.”
Tiba now urges other young women who have left school not to give up. “Everyone who dropped out of school should return. There is nothing better than studying,” she says. “Education is important, and they should not be out of school.”
Finding every child and opening a way back
Suhaib’s story is one of thousands behind the Back-to-Learning campaign, which finds children out of school, understands what keeps them away, and helps them return. Some have never enrolled. Others have left because their families cannot afford transport or learning materials, because they must work, or because displacement has repeatedly disrupted their education.
UNICEF began supporting the campaign in Nineveh and Kirkuk in 2022. Cooperation expanded to Maysan in 2023 and, after the campaign’s early success, became a national effort across Iraq in 2024.
In 2024, the campaign found more than 260,000 out-of-school children and helped more than 100,000 return to learning. In 2025, it found about 238,000 children and helped 92,843 enrol in school, join other learning programmes or take exams outside the regular school system. UNICEF continues to support the Ministry of Education in running the campaign across Iraq.
“Every child who steps back into a classroom carries a dream and gives us all a reason to hope. The Back-to-Learning campaign is helping children across Iraq rediscover the joy of learning, believe in their potential and take confident steps towards a brighter future,” says Laetitia Bazzi-Veil, UNICEF Deputy Representative for Programmes in Iraq.
In returnee areas, including Anbar, Salah al-Din and Nineveh, UNICEF also supports teacher training, psychosocial support, remedial and catch-up classes, and technical assistance to education authorities. Together, these efforts help children who missed learning regain essential skills and continue their education, especially where displacement and poverty make regular attendance difficult.
Every child in school, every dream within reach
Reliable data show where these children live and what keeps them from the classroom, helping decision-makers provide support that meets their needs.
“The Back-to-Learning campaign aims to return our non-enrolled and dropout children to school, which represents building the future and is an inherent right of our children to education and a dignified life,” says Minister of Education Dr Abdul Karim Abtan Al-Jubouri.
The Government of Iraq has made addressing school dropout a national responsibility, requiring coordinated action by state institutions, international partners and civil society. Working with its partners, the Ministry of Education is developing routes back to learning, expanding opportunities for children, adolescents and young people, and removing obstacles that have kept them out of school.
“Combating school dropouts is not just about responding to numbers; it is an investment in human capital. Every child who returns to education is an opportunity to build a more stable family, a more capable society, a stronger economy, a more secure and advanced state, and more self-confident youth,” says Dr Ibtihal Kasid Al-Zaidi, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Educational Affairs.
One child returned to school. Three dreams set in motion. And a family looking to the future with hope.
The European Union, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Operations (ECHO), KfW (Germany), and the Government of the Netherlands are supporting UNICEF in delivering education assistance across Iraq, providing technical support, and strengthening education systems.
