Qamishlo Students protest reduction in Kurdish language lessons

Students from Hittin and Martyr Jir schools in Qamishlo took to the streets today to protest a decision by the Ministry of Education in the Syrian Transitional Government restricting Kurdish language instruction in schools to just three lessons per week.

The protest began at Martyr Osman Sabri Roundabout in the Hilaliya neighborhood and proceeded toward the district directorate in the city center, with students chanting slogans affirming their commitment to their mother tongue.

During the protest, students Diana Songehan and Fian Mahmoud read a statement on behalf of the students in both Kurdish and Arabic. The statement rejected the decision to reduce Kurdish language instruction hours in schools, stressing that Kurdish is not merely a school subject but represents the identity, culture, history and existence of the Kurdish people.

The statement called for preserving school names, reversing the decision to reduce Kurdish language instruction hours, and respecting students' rights. It also rejected the presence of security forces outside schools, emphasizing that schools are institutions dedicated to learning, education and upbringing.

The students also called on the Ministry of Education and the transitional government to recognize the linguistic and educational rights of the Kurdish people and guarantee equal rights for all components of Syria. They urged the administration in the region to take a supportive position on students' rights and not remain silent in the face of their demands.

The statement emphasized that the students were not seeking special privileges, but rather their natural and legitimate rights, stressing that education in one's mother tongue is a right that cannot be reduced to just three lessons per week.

The statement concluded by affirming the students' unity and their determination to defend their right to education in their mother tongue. They chanted slogans including, "Long live the Kurdish language" and "Long live the right to education in one's mother tongue."

Outside the Qamishlo District Directorate, the students met with District Director Cihan Hossam and presented their demands concerning their educational and linguistic rights, stressing the need for concrete steps to guarantee their right to education in their mother tongue.

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ANHA