Qamishlo students protest decision to limit Kurdish language classes 

A number of school students in Qamishlo organized a protest today against a decision by the Ministry of Education in the Syrian transitional government to restrict Kurdish language instruction in schools to just three classes per week.

The protest began at Osman Sabri Roundabout and proceeded to the Directorate of Education building in the city center. Students held banners and chanted slogans calling for the decision to be repealed or amended, stressing their rejection of any reduction in the presence of their mother tongue in school curricula.

Participants said the decision amounted to the marginalization of the Kurdish language, demanding that school curricula be taught in Kurdish and that the language be constitutionally recognized as an official language in the country.

The protest concluded with chants calling for the protection of Kurdish language rights and guarantees for its continued teaching.

The demonstration comes amid a series of protest activities held in Qamishlo and Hasakah since late August, following the issuance of the Education Ministry's decision. These activities have included demonstrations, sit-ins, and statements condemning the decision.

During these protests, demonstrators called for the integration of the Kurdish language into institutional and public life, permission to use it in official documents, and its constitutional recognition.

A-H 

ANHA