Hasakah residents and students demand right to education in Kurdish

Residents, students and their families held a protest today at Joudi Roundabout in the Al-Kalasa neighborhood, rejecting the Education Ministry’s decision to make Kurdish language instruction optional and limit it to only three classes per week.

During the protest, participants held banners stressing that the Kurdish language is a right tied to education, identity and existence. The banners included slogans such as: “Our language is ancient; our language is our freedom and existence,” “Education in Kurdish is our right,” and “Kurdish is a language of education, not merely a language of communication,” along with other calls for education in Kurdish.

The protest turned into a march that started at Joudi Roundabout and proceeded along the neighborhood’s main street. Participants then observed a minute of silence and read a statement on behalf of residents and students.

The statement rejected the decision and called on the Education Ministry to reconsider it and find a fair solution guaranteeing Kurds the right to education in their mother tongue. It noted that thousands of students in the region have been receiving education in Kurdish for years, and that changing the education system within a short period would negatively affect students and their families.

Participants stressed the need to adopt Kurdish as a language of instruction rather than limiting it to three weekly classes. They also called for guaranteeing the right of all communities to receive education in their mother tongues, in line with the rights of peoples and international conventions.

a.k

ANHA