Tell Tamer students: Education in mother tongue must continue

Students in the city of Tell Tamer, in the Jazira, expressed their rejection of a decision by the Syrian transitional government's Ministry of Education to limit Kurdish-language instruction to only three classes per week, calling for Kurdish to be made an official language and for curricula to be taught in Kurdish.

Student Luin Taher, who has completed secondary school (12th grade) and is preparing to enter university, said they had studied in Kurdish from the beginning and would not be able to continue their education in Arabic.

Luin said they would not accept the decision under any circumstances and called for the right to education in the mother tongue to be guaranteed.

Student Bila Radwan said studying in Arabic would be extremely difficult for them. "We have continued our education in our mother tongue since preschool, and we will continue studying in our language until the end. Despite all the difficulties, we will continue to do so," she said.

Bila added that every nation has the right to study in its own language and preserve it.

Student Najbir Ismail, for her part, stressed the need to protect the mother tongue and continue education in Kurdish. "Studying in Kurdish has been very easy for us from the beginning until now because it is our mother tongue," she said.

Najbir called for Kurdish to be taught in all schools as it was previously. "We accept that other languages be taught three times a week, but Kurdish must remain the primary language and be officially taught in schools," she concluded.

ANHA