EXCLUDED FROM PUBLIC SERVICES AND INSTITUTIONS | 11 and districts, this research shows how many paperless people are consistently denied their most basic rights as Iraqi citizens, including access to services like education and medical services, and government-led social protection programs. EDUCATION Despite some efforts to remedy the situation, many undocumented children in formerly IS-controlled areas are not able to obtain an education. In 2018, Iraq’s Education Cluster, in partnership with UNICEF and humanitarian agencies delivering education services, advocated for a ministerial directive that would allow undocumented children to attend school. Despite a directive subsequently issued by the Ministry of Education,xiv a number of education officials interviewed reported being unaware of the directive. The types of civil documents education officials reported being required to formally attend school also varied. For example, one staff member of the Directorate of Education in Salah Al-Din said that only the students’ civil ID was required to attend, while an official in Anbar said that the student’s civil ID, alongside that of the children’s father and mother were required. If the student’s father’s ID was unavailable, then a death certificate was expected to be submitted instead. Obtaining a death certificate in the present context entails an incredibly lengthy, expensive and difficult process. A combination of the civil ID and other state issued documents, including the Public Distribution System (PDS) card, nationality card, and housing card, are required to access a range of public rights-based services in Iraq. While the application of the official requirements varies across governorates For those officials who were aware of a directive, there appeared to be discrepancies at the local level with respect to understanding the content of the directive. One education official in Anbar reported that he had been specifically instructed not to allow children without documentation to attend school. He added however, that it may be possible to convince the Directorate of Education to agree to the children