Education in Rojava after the revolution
Kurdish people’s identity was not recognized by the Ba’athist regime in Rojava; one of the smallest parts of Kurdistan.
Protests where people chanted slogans of freedom, justice and equality in Syria began with the initiative of Kurdish people, and foreign powers and collaborators in the region transformed it into a civil war with the transfer of gang groups to Syria.
Kurdish people saw the practice of foreign powers and regional collaborators, and carried out the revolution based on the democratic autonomy perspective of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Kobanê and Rojava’s other towns and villages on July 19, 2012.
After the founding of Rojava cantons, people fought against ISIS gangs and constructed social life simultaneously.
Education institutions in Rojava’s three cantons offer a new education model where the monist model of the Ba’athist regime is abolished and classes are taught in Kurdish, Arabic, Assyrian and other languages.
Thousands of teachers continue to educate tens of thousands of students in Rojava’s academies and education institutions that have become the model for the Middle East; the geography of peoples and languages.
ACADEMIES AND SCHOOLS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL LIFE
Kurdish Language Institution SZK has opened schools and trained thousands of Kurdish language instructors for the construction of social life.
Kurdish language became official in all schools in Rojava as SZK consolidates the education system in Rojava. The chauvinist mentality of the colonialist Ba’athist regime’s curriculum has been replaced and many academies and institutions have been established. Teachers were trained in these organizations for the development of Kurdish. Martyr Ferzat Kemenger, the first language and literature academy, was founded in Efrîn on August 11, 2013. Here, teachers were trained in Kurdish so that they could work in other schools. SZK and Rojava Teachers Union led the establishment of the first Kurdish language and literature institution Martyr Viyan Amara on October 28, 2013. SZK also set up the Kurdish language, history and literature institution Celadet Bedîrxan Academy on October 24, 2013.
Many institutions with the perspective of democratic nation were set up at the beginning of 2015. Such efforts continue all across Rojava today, and many thought academies have been established. Nûrî Dêrsimî Science and Enlightenment Academy has been founded in Cizîr canton on August 29, 2013, and the name of this institution was later changed to Science and Free Thought Academy.
Several branches of this academy were set up across Cizîr canton, where participants received education on the perspective of democratic nation. The Mesopotamia Society, Science, Law and Justice Academy was established in Qamishlo on April 4, 2013.
On February 24, the Kurdistan Strategic Research Center was established on February 24, and the name of this center was later changed to Rojava Strategic Research Center. Culture and Arts centers were set up in every city across Rojava. All of these institutions continue their culture progress away from power groups despite the pressures and oppressive policies of the past.
EDUCATION IN ARABIC AND KURDISH
Education in mother tongue has been the most important part of the revolution based on democratic autonomy in Rojava. Language education, which had been carried out secretly in houses during the rule of the Ba’thist regime, is now taking place in hundreds of schools across Kobanê and is delivered to tens of thousands of students by thousands of teachers. The understanding of democratic autonomy in Rojava enables education in Kurdish and Arabic in the same school in Rojava, whereas the Turkish state continues to not tolerate Kurdish language.
The Kurdish Language Institution, which had one teacher and 12 students in 2012, now has 1700 teachers reaching 20 thousand students in 200 schools thanks to the revolution in Rojava.
7 SCHOOLS FOR ARABS
7 schools have been opened and 2 are currently being constructed for Arab citizens of Rojava in Kobanê city center.
These schools offer education in Arabic, and only one course is taught in Kurdish. In the schools of villages where Kurds and Arabs coexist, Kurdish students receive education in Kurdish and Arabic students receive education in Arabic. All of these students learn both Kurdish and Arabic, and have the following curriculum:
1-3 grades: Language (Kurdish or Arabic), Mathematics, Music, Painting, and Sports; 4-5 grades: Language (Arabic or Kurdish), Sciences, Society, Mathematics, Painting, Music, and Sports; 6 grade onwards: Language (Kurdish or Arabic), Mathematics, Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Democratic Nation, Geography, Painting, Music, and Sports.
English and French are also taught as foreign languages in these schools.
TURKMENS RECEIVING EDUCATION IN MOTHER TONGUE FOR THE FIRST TIME
With the Rojava Revolution, different peoples and faith groups can now keep their languages, cultures, identities and faiths alive.
For example, the Girê Spî Democratic Society Education Committee took a step to strengthen the revolution and launched a program for Turkmen youth. This step was taken in response to Turkmen citizens and enabled the establishment of the first program on Turkmen language, language, history and culture in Rojava Kurdistan.
The program lasts 45 days, includes courses on Turkmen language, history and culture, and opens next week with 15 students.
The graduates of this program will form a committee and educate children in the village of Hemam El Tirkmen, which is a Turkmen village located 20 kilometers to the south of Grê Spî.
PAINTINGS OF RESISTANCE AND COMMITMENT TO ÖCALAN
An exhibition of 30 paintings was organized at Martyr Viyan Amara Academy on May 15, the Kurdish Language Holiday. The paintings made by academy student Rewşen Şexo were on Kurdish language and the Rojava Revolution. Commitment to Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Kobanê resistance and Kurdish culture were the main themes of Şexo’s paintings.
The academy’s teacher also offered seminars on the development of Kurdish language and the use of the Latin alphabet. The teachers emphasized the role of Mir Celalet Bedirxan Family’s in the introduction of the Latin alphabet, and underlined the need for struggle in order to develop the language.
Kobanê Canton Education Council President Nesrin Kenan and her deputies Zozan Diharo and Ebdulrezaq Elî visited Martyr Viyan Amara Academy and celebrated the Kurdish Language Holiday.