Students in Dêrik, Girkê Legê, Hasakah protest in defense of Kurdish-language education

Student protests against the decision by the Ministry of Education in the Syrian transitional government to limit Kurdish-language classes in schools to just three periods per week are continuing. In this context, students in Dêrik, Girkê Legê and Hasakah, in the Jazira region, took to the streets today.

Dêrik

In Dêrik, dozens of school students held a protest outside the Educational Complex building, rejecting the decision by the Ministry of Education in the Syrian transitional government to limit Kurdish-language classes in schools to just three periods per week.

During the protest, students called for guarantees of their right to learn in Kurdish and for the language to receive constitutional recognition. They then marched towards the city's market, chanting slogans affirming their commitment to studying in their mother tongue and rejecting the decision to reduce Kurdish-language instruction.

The protest concluded with slogans including: "There is no life without language," "Our language is our dignity," and "We will protect our language."

Girkê Legê

In Girkê Legê, students organized a protest march through the city, demanding guarantees of their right to education in Kurdish. They stressed the need for all subjects and curricula to be taught in their mother tongue at every educational level.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to continuing their education in Kurdish and rejected any decisions or measures that could restrict this right, describing the Kurdish language as an essential part of their identity and culture.

The students called for Kurdish-language education to be guaranteed from primary school through university, as well as for curricula and educational materials to be developed in Kurdish to ensure the continuation and advancement of the language in scientific and literary fields.

Hasakah

In Hasakah, dozens of students held a protest outside Al-Hamama Roundabout in the city center.

During the protest, students held banners bearing slogans such as "The Kurdish language is my identity," "There is no life without language," and "Our language is our existence." They also carried Kurdish-language schoolbooks and chanted slogans including, "Demand your rights in your language and do not be afraid."

Student Baran Luqman told ANHA agency that students reject being deprived of their language after studying it continuously for ten years.

He said, "Our language is our existence, and they cannot deprive us of it. We will never accept our language being restricted and marginalized. Kurdish is our language, and we will demand this right until our last breath."

For her part, student Alin Boti said she had taken part in the protest to demand students' right to the Kurdish language. She stressed that "the decision to marginalize it is completely unacceptable to us," adding that their main demand was to continue studying in their mother tongue.

The protest concluded with students pledging to continue their demonstrations and activities if the relevant authorities fail to respond to their demands and reverse the recent decisions concerning the education process in the region.

A-H

ANHA