Syrian education minister says Kurdish-language curriculum under development
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Syrian Minister of Education Mohammed Abdul Rahman Turko on Sunday said that the government is working to introduce Kurdish-language education across areas with Kurdish populations, describing the move as part of broader efforts to restore the rights of Syria’s Kurdish community.
In an interview with Rudaw Network in Kurdish during a visit to Erbil, Turko said the government aims to prepare a Kurdish-language curriculum before the start of the next academic year, following the issuance of Decree No. 13 of 2026, which he said guarantees Kurdish rights, including citizenship, land ownership and language.
“Our goal is for Kurds to study in their mother tongue, and we are working on that,” Turko said. “Wherever Kurds live, schools will be opened.”
The minister added that Kurdish-language education would not be limited to northeastern Syria, adding that schools offering instruction in Kurdish would also be established in cities such as Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Hama.
Turko, a native of Afrin who holds a doctorate from Germany’s Leipzig University, said the Syrian government had unified four separate educational systems under a single national framework, including a unified curriculum and equal salaries for teachers.
According to the minister, teachers’ salaries have increased from about $80 to approximately $400 per month, while 38,000 teachers from areas previously administered by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) have been integrated into the state’s education system.
He indicated that the government now officially recognizes certificates issued in northeastern Syria and said Kurdish students returning from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq would be allowed to continue their studies without obstacles.
“Anyone who completed seventh grade can start eighth grade in Syria. There is no problem,” Turko noted, thanking the Kurdistan Region for hosting Syrian refugees and providing education for their children.
The minister pointed out that Syria currently employs about 338,000 teachers and education workers nationwide, making the Ministry of Education the country’s largest government institution.
Turko also noted that 8,200 schools were damaged during the conflict, adding that authorities have rehabilitated 1,680 schools so far.