Mother-tongue education Is right for all components

In response to the Ministry of Education’s decision under the transitional government to reduce the number of hours allocated to teaching Kurdish in schools, PYD member in Darbasiya Saud Maish said: “Mother-tongue education is a right for every component,” rejecting the reduction of Kurdish language instruction to three lessons per week and its designation as an optional subject.

He explained that the Kurdish language is rich in vocabulary and structures and that its existence cannot be denied. He added that educating students in their mother tongue enhances their academic performance.

Maish noted that Kurdish had been a core subject for 14 years and that reducing its weekly lessons contradicts the principles of the Autonomous Administration, which guarantees every component the right to education in its own language. He pointed out that students had studied Arabic alongside Kurdish and Kurdish alongside Arabic to achieve proficiency in both languages, in line with the principles of democracy and justice.

He said the government had issued a decision making Kurdish an optional subject, arguing that this failed to grant the language official status.

Importance of Political Struggle to Secure Recognition

Maish stressed the need to support students’ demands and their right to education in their mother tongue, calling for Kurdish to be recognized as an official language. He also urged a shift away from an authoritarian approach towards a democratic one that recognizes Kurdish rights.

He concluded by emphasizing that Syria’s diverse components require guarantees and protection of their rights, particularly the right to freedom and education in their mother tongues.

For his part, Union of Intellectuals member in Darbasiya Akram Darwish stressed that language is a fundamental pillar of peoples’ identities and that every component has the right to education in its mother tongue.

He explained that demanding education in Kurdish does not mean rejecting other languages, noting that although they had studied Arabic, using one’s mother tongue gives people greater freedom and comfort in expressing themselves and their identities.

Darwish said that systems seeking to suppress communities often target their languages to erase their identities. He noted that Kurdish students may face difficulties when studying in Arabic, while education in their mother tongue helps them understand lessons and express themselves more effectively.

He added that students had received education in their mother tongues for more than a decade, with Arabs studying in Arabic and Kurds in Kurdish. He expressed hope that the current situation would change and that every component would be guaranteed the right to study in its own language.

In conclusion, Darwish called on members of society to avoid discord and convey their demands through civilized and peaceful political action. He also urged Kurdish political parties to play their role in this regard.

ANHA