In August, the number of Iraqis who returned home from abroad or from internal displacement soared to 37,835, compared with 20,546 in July and 16,338 in June. Baghdad and Diyala Province, just to the north, account for more than 90 percent of those numbers.
Millions remain displaced, and in September the pace slowed, with 23,821 returning to their homes. But the monthly average for the 10 months beginning in August 2007, according to the UN figures, was only about 11,000.

UN officials say it is critical that the Iraqi government act quickly and be less bureaucratic in helping the returning refugees, including providing adequate education and schools. Experts hope improvements in schools will reinforce the idea that neighborhoods are safer, so that still more people will return

Over all, the sentiment around Baghdad seemed a mix of hope and anxiety, which together translated into endless calculations and complex compromises: Should the whole family return, or just the adults? Is it wise to reclaim a home in a previously mixed neighborhood? Or might it be better to find a new one in an area dominated by one's own sect, and dare again to trust neighbors enough to contemplate a basic act like letting a child walk to school alone?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/12/mideast/iraq.php
Security is first test of school year in Iraq
By Sam Dagher
Published: October 12, 2008