Mazloum Abdi's message on Kurdish-language education

Presidential Adviser Mazloum Abdi urged Kurdish students and their families in Rojava, in a message, to continue the new academic year, pledging to make further efforts to secure official recognition of the Kurdish language.

In a video message to ANHA agency, Mazloum Abdi said:

“Our dear people, the Kurdish language is our identity, and protecting and developing it has been a fundamental goal of our struggle to this day. Education and learning in the mother tongue is a natural right of all peoples. Education in Kurdish is a fundamental and natural right of the Kurdish people.

Over the past 14 years of the Rojava Revolution, tremendous efforts have been made to teach and learn the Kurdish language. Despite being in a state of war, we established an education system. Despite its shortcomings, it represented an achievement and a historic step in the history of Rojava.

On this occasion, I salute all the families who sent their children to Kurdish schools despite the war and difficult circumstances, and I congratulate all the teachers and staff who made great efforts to teach the Kurdish language over the past 14 years.”

Since the fall of the Baath regime, and over the past year and eight months, we have been working to establish Kurdish as an official language within Syria’s education system. We have held meetings and conducted several rounds of discussions, and these efforts resulted in a decision by the Ministry of Education regarding the Kurdish language.

Our people and our students protested against the decision, considering it insufficient. They took a stand and struggled for their rights, and that is their right. We stand with them. Since the academic year has begun and we are going through a transitional period, we must continue the educational process and ensure its success.

Measures are being taken to address the difficulties that students who previously studied in Kurdish may face, and children will not encounter any problems. On the one hand, they will learn Arabic, while on the other, they will continue their education in Kurdish.

We ask families to send their children to schools where Kurdish is the primary language of instruction, so that we can successfully get through this academic year and the transitional period, and achieve a higher level of Kurdish-language education next year. This will serve as a foundation for moving toward securing all our rights concerning the Kurdish language.

Additionally, the ninth-grade and final-year secondary school curricula will follow the Autonomous Administration’s curricula. Therefore, I ask all students to continue their studies under the Kurdish education system to ensure their future.

There have been meetings and discussions regarding the official status of Rojava University and Kobani University. No decision has been made on this matter yet, but we hope an appropriate decision will be issued that serves the students of both universities.

We ask students who have obtained their secondary school certificates from Kurdish schools to apply through the university admissions process in accordance with the Ministry of Higher Education’s criteria, to ensure that they secure places at the two universities mentioned above.

Finally, I congratulate all students on the start of the new academic year and wish them success.”

ANHA