Inclusive education, which upholds the equitable participation of all students, paves the way for societal inclusion and equality of opportunities. The Salamanca conference in 1994 initiated a global inclusivity drive, prompting a wave of commitments, including from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), towards adopting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and endorsing inclusive educational policies. Despite incorporating inclusive education policies in educational laws of 2009 and 2022, the literature significantly lacks insight into their application in KRI primary schools, particularly from the teachers' perspective, a vital component of the success of inclusive education. Therefore, this qualitative-phenomenological study aimed to fill a scholarly gap by exploring the challenges of implementing inclusive education in primary schools in KRI, focusing on the experiences of primary school teachers. To capture the complex dynamics shaping teachers' experiences in inclusive education, this study adopts Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory (1979). This theoretical lens facilitates a nuanced, context-sensitive exploration of multiple layers within the educational ecosystem, thus enabling a comprehensive understanding of the challenges in implementing inclusive education. The findings reveal significant challenges, including insufficient teacher training and support, inadequate resource availability, particularly for students with special educational needs, an unsupportive school physical environment, and a lack of effective collaboration and community engagement. This study makes significant contribution to academic discourse by illuminating teachers' experiences and contextual factors in implementing inclusive education in KRI. The findings underscore the need for systemic changes in resource allocation and teacher preparation, offering insights for policy reforms and educational practices. Finally, the study highlights the importance of community engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration in fostering inclusive educational environments, with implications for long-term societal inclusion.

Keywords: inclusive education, implementation, challenges, primary school, ecological system theory