ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how different ethnic communities have interpreted restrictions to their education systems and taken strides to counter the limitations. It introduces how the issues of identity and societal security indeed feature in the discussion of education by both education actors and media representation. Ethnic identity is consequently playing a central role in the debate over education's reconstruction in the region. Therefore across the disputed territories of Iraq, ethnic groups are separately seeking to reconstruct schools, develop resources and build educational infrastructure for their own communities. The perception of an ongoing process of Arabization has resulted in larger ethnic groups, Assyrian, Turkmen and Kurds, mobilizing to seek external help to secure the vital means of societal security protection that education provides. This demonstrates that societal security has taken precedence over pedagogy and attainment. Societal security protection was therefore central to all issues raised. Even standard education requirements were framed by ethnic need by non-Arab groups.
