Arab News | Syrian Kurds aim to preserve Kurdish schooling as Damascus reasserts authority

QAMISHLI, Syria: Syrian Kurds are seeking to preserve schooling in their mother tongue as Damascus reasserts authority over Kurdish regions that governed themselves during years of war, welcoming a decree that allows some subjects to be taught in Kurdish but saying it falls short of their demand for a fully Kurdish-language curriculum.

The issue has come to the fore at the start of the first school year since Syria’s Kurdish-majority areas were reintegrated into the Syrian state under agreements between Damascus and Kurdish-led authorities. Pupils in Kurdish regions have protested over the rollout of a new curriculum in Arabic.

The role of the Kurdish language is a sensitive matter for Kurds. Kurdish was banned in schools under the Assads, who espoused a Baathist ideology rooted in Arab nationalism, but flourished during years of Kurdish self-rule in northern Syria.

President Bashar Assad was ousted in 2024. Now, Syria’s Kurds face a rapidly changing reality after the state under President Ahmed Al-Sharaa seized ‌Kurdish-run regions in ‌an offensive in January, paving the way for negotiations on how to merge their security and civilian ‌institutions, ⁠with the Kurds trying ⁠to preserve as many of their gains as possible.

Before the school year, the education ministry issued a decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language to be offered in areas where Kurds form a significant part of the population, meeting a longstanding Kurdish demand.

But among Kurds schooled almost entirely in Kurdish since 2012, the decision faces objections because it limits Kurdish language instruction to three sessions a week.

Also, while the decree offered the option for geography, history, social studies and philosophy to be taught in Kurdish, Kurdish officials said sciences and maths would be taught in Arabic under the new arrangements.

“I have studied Kurdish since the start of my schooling up through 11th grade, and now they are saying they will ⁠only allocate three class periods for Kurdish. This is unacceptable,” said Suzan Ali, 16.

“Half the curriculum in ‌Kurdish and the other half in Arabic — we cannot study in Arabic. We ‌must study in our own language, because we have studied in Kurdish from the beginning and must continue through university.”

Merva Amo, 18, said she had ‌protested to demand “a return to the previous curriculum where all subjects were taught in Kurdish” and that she would continue demonstrating.

The education ‌ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Education Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman Turko told parliament on Monday there had been two views, one calling for Kurdish language to be studied alongside other subjects, and one calling for the entire curriculum to be translated into Kurdish.

“Translating the curriculum completely into Kurdish, frankly, it’s very difficult,” Turko said in excerpts of the session posted on social media by news outlet afrin now. “First, providing teachers for all specialties, and ‌second, how is (the student) going to continue their university studies?“

A ‘GOOD’ STEP BUT SHORT OF KURDISH HOPES

Syria’s Kurds are part of an ethnic group that was left stateless when the borders of ⁠the modern Middle East emerged from ⁠the collapsing Ottoman Empire.

Kurdish groups took control of swathes of northern Syria after 2011, building a powerful armed group that fought Islamic State alongside US forces and establishing autonomy they had hoped to preserve.

But their hand was weakened by the government offensive in January and as Washington urged them to integrate with Damascus.

Negotiations have since led to dissolution of the Kurdish-led forces and their merger into the defense ministry.

Syrian Kurdish official Ilham Ahmad said the decree was “a good initial step” but fell short of “the demands of our community.”

“We believe that all subjects should be taught in Kurdish — alongside English, Arabic and other languages — especially in these regions. It is essential for the Kurdish people to learn in their own language, though what we see now is nonetheless a step,” she told Reuters.

The new constitution must enshrine the right to teach in Kurdish, she said.

Syria’s Kurds speak Kurmanji, a variety of Kurdish written in a Latin-based script. Kurdish belongs to the Indo-European language family, so is distinct from Arabic.

TEACHER URGES TRANSITION PERIOD

Sharaa has pledged to protect minorities’ rights and appointed the head of the dissolved Kurdish-led forces, Mazloum Abdi, as a presidential adviser.

Kurdish was taught secretly under Assad.

Teacher Mohamed Ahmed said he anticipated difficulties for pupils only ever taught in Kurdish and urged “a transitional period of a year or two.”

“We hope things proceed smoothly and easily, and that the region’s situation is accepted, especially given the sensitivity surrounding these issues,” he said.