Hasakah students: Kurdish language is essential part of our identity

Students in the city of Hasakah expressed their rejection of the transitional government’s decision to reduce the number of hours of Kurdish-language instruction to three hours per week, and called for their right to learn in their mother tongue to be restored.

Student Eileen Boti said that Kurdish is their mother tongue and that they have the right to continue their education in it, just like students who study in their own mother tongues.

She pointed out that they have been learning Kurdish since the first grade and that it has become an essential part of their educational journey and cultural identity.

She explained that reducing Kurdish-language instruction to three hours per week would not allow them to learn the language adequately or to delve deeply into their history and culture.

She stressed that the decision would negatively affect their academic achievement and make it more difficult for them to continue their education in their mother tongue, particularly since they have been accustomed to studying in Kurdish since their early school years.

She added that the decision came as a shock to students, who had hoped to continue their studies in Kurdish until graduation. She considered the reduction in Kurdish-language instruction hours a threat to the continuity of Kurdish-language education and said it could pave the way for a further decline in its presence within school curricula in the future.

Eileen warned that continuing to implement the decision could deprive future generations of the opportunity to learn in their mother tongue. She stressed that students remain committed to their right to study in Kurdish.

She called on the relevant authorities to reconsider the decision and ensure the continued teaching of the Kurdish language without reducing the number of instructional hours.

For her part, student Rwida Farhan affirmed that the Kurdish language is an essential part of her identity and that every people have the right to learn in its mother tongue.

She pointed out that limiting Kurdish-language instruction to three hours per week would not be sufficient to study the language or learn about Kurdish history and culture.

She noted that changing the language of instruction would create difficulties for students who have been accustomed to studying in Kurdish since the first grade. She called for Kurdish to be taught as it was previously and for students to be allowed to continue their education in the language through the university level.

In turn, student Mohammed Ibrahim warned that reducing the number of hours of Kurdish-language instruction could affect the future of Kurdish-language education. He stressed that three hours per week are not sufficient for students who have been studying the language from an early age. He emphasized the need to guarantee their right to continue their education in their mother tongue.

The students called on the relevant authorities to reconsider the decision and preserve their right to education in the Kurdish language, ensuring the continuity of Kurdish-language instruction for future generations.

ANHA