Calls in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh demand resolution of education and teachers rights issues

According to reports circulating among activists on social media, the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo are witnessing a mobilization by students and youth demanding a resolution to the status of the educational process and clarification regarding the future of students studying under the Autonomous Administration’s Kurdish curriculum.

Ilham Ahmed, Co-chair of the Autonomous Administration’s Department of Foreign Relations, stated today on the X platform: "Education in one's mother tongue is a fundamental right for every people. Languages ​​are among the creations of the Merciful Creator; they must not be banned, nor should their sanctity and value be diminished. We believe that Syria, by recognizing these fundamental rights, can become a model of justice, stability, and peace in the region."

Students and young people have launched a grassroots campaign, posting notices and flyers in public squares and facilities. These materials outline demands to guarantee the right to education in the Kurdish language and to establish a clear, fair mechanism for conducting examinations. These actions stem from concerns that the academic year—and the efforts invested by students, particularly those in transitional grades and those preparing for final certification exams—could be lost.

The demands also addressed the situation of teachers working within the Autonomous Administration’s educational institutions, calling for the payment of outstanding financial dues, the regularization of their professional status, and the establishment of a clear, stable mechanism for their formal employment integration.

Coinciding with student demands, the city of Aleppo witnessed action yesterday, Sunday, by "integration teachers" from the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiya neighborhoods. A delegation of these teachers visited the Directorate of Education to follow up on the status of their integration into the Ministry of Education and to seek a resolution regarding their administrative and financial standing.

According to circulating reports, the delegation was unable to meet with the Aleppo Director of Education; instead, they met with relevant officials at the directorate but received no clear answers regarding the fate of their files.

The teachers noted that the directorate had once again requested they submit their data via an electronic file, despite having already submitted their documentation approximately four months ago.

The teachers fear that the request to resubmit files—and the subsequent need to forward them to Damascus—will lead to further delays. This comes at a time when the fate of some 400 teachers and their families remains unresolved, with their salaries having been suspended for about eight months and no clear decision issued regarding their integration or the regularization of their status.

These developments unfold amidst ongoing uncertainty regarding the fate of returnees to Afrin, Serêkaniyê, Tal Abyad, and the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiya neighborhoods. There are growing calls for solutions that guarantee students' rights to education and examinations while safeguarding the rights of teachers and education sector workers, independent of political and administrative disputes.

Sh-S

ANHA