Official Approval of Teaching Kurdish in Syrian Schools

According to KurdPress, the Ministry of Education of the Syrian Interim Government issued Decision No. 493 of 2026 in Damascus on August 27, 2026, according to which the Kurdish language will be taught as a national language in public and private schools in areas with a significant Kurdish population. This decision also includes amending administrative instructions to implement the provisions of Decree No. 13 of 2026 and establishing the necessary mechanisms for teaching the Kurdish language and providing the necessary educational staff.This decision was taken within the framework of measures to protect cultural and linguistic rights, strengthen cultural diversity in the education system and establish the necessary administrative mechanisms to implement the provisions of the new resolution. The Syrian Ministry of Education emphasized that the implementation of this decision must be consistent with general educational policies, the principle of equal opportunities and the proper process of education.

Details of the decision on teaching the Kurdish language

According to Article 2 of the decision, the Kurdish language will be taught as a national language in public and private schools, especially in areas where Kurdish citizens constitute a significant part of the population.

The decision emphasizes that the Kurdish language will be taught at all levels of education and be considered as part of the official and approved educational program.According to the determined program, Kurdish language teaching will be carried out in two ways:

Kurdish language lesson: It will be taught three hours a week alongside Arabic and English languages, and the grade of this lesson will be included in the final grades of the students according to the determined criteria.

Activity: One hour a week will be allocated to related activities.

Also, in the transitional stage, students in the first academic year after the implementation of this decision can study social sciences, history, geography and philosophy courses in Arabic or Kurdish, based on the approved educational programs. This possibility is only considered for the first academic year of the implementation of the decision.

Preparation of books and educational content

Based on the decision of the Ministry of Education, the National Center for the Development of Educational Materials has been required to prepare educational content related to the Kurdish language lesson for all educational levels.These educational materials must be prepared in accordance with approved scientific and educational principles and within the framework of national standards. Also, the translation of content related to educational activities will be carried out in accordance with the approved guidelines for educational activities.

Providing Kurdish language teachers

Another part of the decision is dedicated to providing the human resources needed for teaching the Kurdish language. Accordingly, the Education Management and the Educational Supervision Management are required to provide the required teachers and educational staff from among the existing staff or from outside the educational body, according to the specified conditions.

To attract educational staff, having a university degree or a certificate from teacher training centers, as well as proficiency in the Kurdish language, are among the specified conditions. If necessary, holders of relevant educational qualifications who are also proficient in the Kurdish language can be employed for teaching.The Ministry of Education has also announced that individuals’ proficiency in the Kurdish language will be assessed through written and oral tests. These tests will be administered by the Directorate of Educational Supervision and coordinated by the National Center for Educational Materials Development, based on standardized and objective criteria.