Syrian cities see protests over Kurdish language education rights

Protests have erupted in the Syrian cities of Qamishli and Hasakah as parents, teachers, and students demonstrate against recent government decisions regarding Kurdish language education.

In Qamishli, protesters gathered at the regional directorate building to demand legislative and educational developments following a ministerial decree. While the decree recognizes Kurdish as a national language and allows it to be taught in public schools with grades included in final totals, demonstrators argue that further measures are needed to ensure effective linguistic rights. They emphasize that promoting Kurdish does not aim to exclude Arabic, but rather seeks a bilingual educational model.

In Hasakah, demonstrators gathered at the Al-Hamama roundabout to specifically reject a decision that limits Kurdish language instruction to only three classes. Protesters argue that this restriction undermines a comprehensive curriculum that has been in place for over 15 years. They are calling for the preservation of an integrated curriculum that allows students to learn in their mother tongue from primary school through university levels.