Syrian Kurdish language education reforms and protests

Following Presidential Decree No. 13 issued in January 2026, which recognized Kurdish as a national language and restored citizenship to Kurds stripped of it during the 1962 census, the Syrian Ministry of Education announced plans to implement Kurdish in the school curriculum for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The ministry’s instructions stated that Kurdish would be taught in public and private schools in regions with significant Kurdish populations. While some reports indicated the language would be an optional course for two hours a week, official communications suggested it would be a core subject for three hours per week, with grades contributing to academic averages. The ministry also planned to allow students to choose between Arabic and Kurdish for certain subjects and launched a recruitment drive for qualified instructors.

However, these decisions triggered protests in the cities of Qamishli and Hasakah. In Qamishli, demonstrators demanded further legislative and educational developments to ensure effective linguistic rights, advocating for a bilingual model. In Hasakah, protesters rejected decisions that limited Kurdish instruction to only three classes, arguing that such restrictions undermine a comprehensive curriculum that has existed for over 15 years. Protesters called for the preservation of an integrated curriculum allowing students to learn in their mother tongue from primary school through university levels.

In September 2026, the Ministry of Education moved forward with teacher recruitment, conducting written examinations for 120 applicants at the Institute of Fine, Plastic, and Applied Arts in Damascus. These candidates aim to serve in the Damascus, Hama, and Raqqa governorates. Ismet Ramadan, Director of the Educational Curriculum Development Department, noted the exam covered linguistic skills such as conversation, reading, writing, listening, and grammar. In Damascus, six schools in the Dummar and Rukn al-Din areas have been designated for instruction, with primary-level teaching to be conducted through enrichment classes and activities.