Students, academics in Hasakah, Kobani reject reduction of Kurdish classes

Reactions continue to mount over the Ministry of Education’s August 27 decision regarding the Kurdish language. In this context, outstanding students from various educational levels in Hasakah, along with professors and students at Kobani University, warned of its impact on students’ psychological well-being and academic performance, and called for the decision to be reconsidered and for an educational approach that respects students’ right to learn in their mother tongue.

Hasakah

Top-performing students from various educational levels in the city of Hasakah have rejected the Transitional Government’s recent decision to reduce Kurdish language classes in the school curriculum to three per week, stressing that the decision threatens their educational and psychological well-being and could affect their academic future.

The students voiced their position during an event organized by dozens of top-performing students from primary, preparatory and secondary schools in front of the Hasakah City Council building. The event began with holding a minute of silence in tribute to the souls of the martyrs.

Student Mohammed Hassen and student Jiyan Ma'o read out a statement addressed to the public opinion and the Syrian Ministry of Education, in which the students expressed concern over the repercussions of the decision on their educational journey. They stressed that for 14 years, their schools had provided the educational environment in which they studied various scientific and literary subjects in their mother tongue.

During the event, participants held up banners affirming their commitment to their right to education in their mother tongue. Among the slogans were: “I have the right to learn in my mother tongue” and “Our language is our existence.”

The students said in their statement that abruptly changing the language and method of instruction, particularly for students who have already progressed through their educational stages, could lead to academic disruption and increase their fears of failure or declining academic performance. They noted that transitioning to a different education system after years of studying in Kurdish represents a major challenge for them.

The statement stressed that equitable education should take into account the language that students understand and through which they are able to express themselves and be creative. It noted that preventing them from continuing their education within the system in which they were raised could affect their motivation, willingness to learn and desire to attend school.

The students called on the Ministry of Education to reconsider the decision and listen to their demands, allowing them to continue studying various scientific and literary subjects in the language that enables them to excel and maintain psychological and cognitive stability.

They also called on teachers, parents and all those concerned about the future of children and young people to convey their voice and defend their right to education and stability, stressing that their demands stem from concern for their academic future and are not driven by any other considerations.

The students concluded their statement by reaffirming their commitment to their right to continue their education in a manner that ensures their stability and academic achievement.

KOBANI

Kobani University has also warned of the repercussions of the decision to reduce Kurdish language instruction to three classes per week. The university’s position was set out in a statement read on Tuesday by a number of professors in front of the university building, in the presence of students, administrators and teaching staff. They expressed their rejection of the decision to reduce the number of Kurdish language classes, stressing that the measure does not merely represent a reduction in the number of classes, but rather constitutes a “shift in the function of the language” within the education system.

The statement was read by university professors Aras Hesso and Jiyan Osman. The university said it was following with concern the decision to reduce Kurdish language classes, noting that over more than a decade, Kurdish had evolved from being merely a subject of study into a primary language of instruction across various fields of education.

The statement explained that the use of Kurdish was not limited to teaching language, literature and the humanities, but had extended to natural sciences, mathematics, applied subjects and various academic disciplines. According to the university, this has helped establish Kurdish as a language of education, knowledge and research.

The university warned that moving from an educational environment based on the Kurdish language to limiting its instruction to three classes per week could create a linguistic and knowledge gap among students and limit the benefits of the educational foundation built up over the past years.

The university highlighted the importance of language in shaping the educational environment from a sociolinguistic perspective, explaining that the role of schools is not limited to teaching a language, but also extends to granting it social status and function.

It said that restricting Kurdish to a limited subject, while using another language across different areas of education, could gradually narrow the fields in which Kurdish is used and weaken its status as a language of science and knowledge.

Kobani University stressed that strengthening the status of Kurdish does not conflict with learning Arabic or other languages, and that multilingualism and bilingual education represent a more balanced academic approach.

The university called on the relevant authorities to reconsider the decision to reduce Kurdish language instruction and conduct a comprehensive academic, educational and sociolinguistic assessment before making any changes to the existing educational system.

It also called for universities, researchers and specialists in language, education and curricula to be involved in developing any future vision concerning education and languages.

ANHA