Syria replaces Turkish with French in elective school curriculum

Syria has sparked significant controversy by removing Turkish from the elective language category in its national curriculum and replacing it with French. Syrian authorities explained the decision as a necessity to implement the curriculum from the Assad era because the new curriculum was not ready for the upcoming academic year.

This move threatens the educational model that has been successfully implemented in the Olive Branch, Euphrates Shield, and Peace Spring regions since 2017. Turkmen representatives, the Turkmen Assembly, and various NGOs have launched initiatives at the level of the Syrian Ministry of National Education and the Presidency to address the resulting grievances.

Hüseyin İsa, the Aleppo representative for the Syrian Turkmen Assembly, stated that the decision would negatively impact hundreds of thousands of students, not just the Turkmen population. He noted that many students who completed their primary or secondary education in Turkey and subsequently returned to Syria risk having their Turkish language proficiency rendered obsolete. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus is also engaged in discussions with relevant authorities regarding the matter.