Kobani student refuse to attend school in protest against decision of Education Ministry 

As the new 2026 academic year began today, students in schools across the city of Kobani refused to enter their classrooms in protest against the Ministry of Education's decision to reduce Kurdish language instruction to just three periods per week.

The protesting students expressed their categorical rejection of the Ministry's decision, demanding its reversal, the restoration of previous Kurdish language teaching hours, and the adoption of Kurdish as the primary language of instruction for all subjects.

Student Hankfin Musa said: "We do not reject the Arabic language, but our mother tongue must be the foundation of our education. How are we supposed to continue our studies when our entire future and all our dreams were built upon the Kurdish language? Linguistic identity and the educational gains achieved over the past years must be respected."

Anlan Muhammad, a student, said: "I am in the fifth grade, and throughout these years, I have studied Kurdish at school. We want to study in our mother tongue, and I will not attend school unless all our classes are taught in Kurdish."

The students affirmed that they would continue to boycott classes and protest until the decision is amended and their demands are met.

This protest comes amidst a wave of widespread condemnation among parents, intellectuals, and students in the city of Kobani, who viewed the decision as a "dangerous regression" regarding educational rights.

Sh-S

ANHA