Syrian Kurds push for full Kurdish-language schools as Damascus eases language rules

As the first school term starts in the Kurdish-majority areas of northern Syria, the government announced a decree that recognises Kurdish as a national language and allows three weekly classes in Kurdish, with optional Kurdish instruction for geography, history, social studies and philosophy. Kurdish communities, accustomed to education entirely in Kurdish since 2012, view the measure as insufficient because sciences and mathematics will continue in Arabic.

Students such as Suzan Ali and Merva Amo have voiced opposition and plan further demonstrations. Education Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman Turko explained the difficulty of fully translating curricula and staffing teachers for every subject. Kurdish officials, including Ilham Ahmad, called the decree a modest step but urged a constitutional guarantee for Kurdish-language teaching. The broader political context includes a recent government offensive that re-integrated Kurdish-run regions and the merger of Kurdish forces into the national defence ministry.