Less violence sees more children going to school in Iraq The number of kids starting school in Iraq today is up thanks to a decrease in attacks and improved feelings of safety. It is the first day of the academic year, and almost nine million children are attending classes across the country. At al-Thabat primary school in Sadr City, pupils arrived eager to learn, despite continuing problems such as power cuts. In addition, more Arabic parents are sending their children to Kurdish-language schools, recognising the importance of speaking Iraq's second official language. However, safety does remain a concern, with attacks still being carried out and sectarian violence remaining prevalent. Even on the first day of term, four people were killed by a bomb attached to minibus in Sadr City. More than 170 people have lost their lives and 670 have been wounded in similar incidents in September alone. More about: Education, Iraq, Iraq attack