Peregraf — The Syrian Ministry of Education has issued Decree No. 943 regulating the teaching of the Kurdish language in the country’s schools, formally recognizing Kurdish as a “national language” while restricting its use to an optional subject taught for limited hours, a provision that has prompted debate among Kurdish communities and educators.
Article 5 of the decree states that Kurdish may be taught in public and private schools located in areas where Kurdish citizens constitute a significant proportion of the population. However, the language will not be used as a medium of instruction for other academic subjects, nor will it be compulsory for students. Instead, Kurdish will be offered as an elective subject, taught for two class periods per week across grade levels, with grades recorded but not counted toward students’ success or failure in the academic year.
The policy marks the first formal acknowledgment by the central government of Kurdish as part of Syria’s national linguistic landscape, framing the move as a measure to preserve cultural diversity and strengthen national identity. Yet the limited scope of the provision has led many Kurdish observers to view the step as largely symbolic.
Kurdish activists and education specialists argue that the measure falls short of longstanding demands for mother-tongue education and institutional recognition of Kurdish as a language of learning. They note that Kurdish-language educational institutions, including universities in Qamishlo, have been operating in northeast Syria for years, underscoring a gap between existing realities on the ground and the framework set out in the decree.
The decision also allows schools currently teaching Kurdish to continue using existing curricula until new state-approved programs are developed and implemented. Education officials say the gradual approach is intended to ensure alignment with national standards and maintain cohesion within the educational system.
While the decree introduces a legal basis for teaching Kurdish in state schools, critics contend that restricting it to an optional subject with limited instructional time reflects continued reluctance to embrace bilingual education or fully integrate minority languages into Syria’s public education framework. The debate over linguistic rights and educational inclusion is therefore expected to continue.