ERBIL, KRI, Iraq (North Press) – Nearly after a month to the start of the academic year 2022-2023, Syrian refugee families in Erbil send their children to the school in the Kawergosk camp.
This comes as they rejected to send their children to schools adopting Kurdish language – the Sorani dialect – after years of learning in Arabic. Parents held protests in front of the UN office in Erbil against the bid aimed at integration.
Nearly half of students have returned to schools, but classrooms are already overcrowded amid lack of teachers and textbooks.
According to teachers, nearly 1.200 pupils, from first to fourth grade, attend school in the camp. There are seven teachers of Arabic, Mathematics and English.
Since the beginning of the new academic year, pupils had no Sorani, Social Studies or Science lessons due to severe shortage of teachers which leads to less school hours attended by students.
Moreover, pupils have not received but books of Arabic and English, which makes the teaching process a difficult one for parents at home.
Muhammad Ramadan, a mathematics teacher in the camp said nearly 40% of pupils, from first to fourth grades, were back to schools. Ramadan noted that students are finding difficulties in understanding Sorani.
Months ago, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in cooperation with the KRG’s Education Ministry, issued a decision to change curriculum of Syrian refugees from Arabic to Sorani from the first to fourth grades with only one Arabic period, starting from fourth grade.
Sorani is the official Kurdish dialect in Kurdistan Regional of Iraq and is different from Kurmanji, which is spoken by Syrian Kurds.
According to director of the camp, Iman Jabali, they need 40 teachers to cover all classes.
She indicated the camp management and that of the school called on the KRG’s Education Ministry to secure staff and fill the gap. “We were notified that soon the required number of teachers would be appointed, and books would be distributed.”
Parent of pupils hope that the KRG’s Education Ministry deliver on its pledges soon as the first term nears ending.