Kurdish teachers protest over Syria’s education decision
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Kurdish language teachers held a protest outside the Hasakah Education Directorate on Sunday, rejecting a Syrian Education Ministry decision and demanding Kurdish be recognized as a language of instruction.
In a statement issued during the protest, the teachers called for clarification of the criterion referring to areas where “Kurdish citizens constitute a significant proportion” of the population.
They also called for clear and transparent criteria to ensure students are not discriminated against based on their place of residence.
The Syrian Ministry of Education issued a decision on Aug. 27 allowing Kurdish to be taught as a national language in public and private schools in areas where Kurdish citizens constitute a significant proportion of the population. The decision applies to all educational stages, with Kurdish taught at three classes per week alongside Arabic and English, while one weekly class is allocated to activities.
Nisreen Rashik, a Kurdish language teacher in Hasakah, told North Press that the number of classes set by the ministry was “not sufficient,” noting that students in the region have been studying Kurdish for about 15 years.
Rashik said the additional weekly activities class, alongside the three Kurdish language classes, does not meet the requirements of Kurdish-language education.
She added that the decision “should complement what has been adopted over the past years,” while institutions working to strengthen the Kurdish language and its curricula should receive support.
Rashik said the protest was organized to demand a review of the Education Ministry’s decision and to have teachers’ and students’ demands heard.
She warned that changing the education system after years of studying in Kurdish could negatively affect students and create difficulties and inconsistencies in their educational progression.