Campaign demands at least 200 more Kurdish teachers in public schools

Campaign demands at least 200 more Kurdish teachers in public schools
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Update: 10 August 2022 18:16
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The Ministry of Education recently provoked reaction with its decision to allocate only three posts for the elective Kurdish language course.

A new campaign spreading over social media demanded at least 200 Kurdish teachers to fulfill the need in public schools after the Ministry of Education recently provoked reaction with its decision to allocate only three posts for the elective course.

Diyarbakır Education Monitoring and Reform Initiative claimed 20 thousand students were ready to take the lesson. “The state, government and parliament should introduce Kurdish to the Kurdish society. We want an additional 200 assignments,” a statement by the initiative said. 

According to Turkey's education system, Kurds are allowed to study in their mother tongue at school for a few hours a week through elective courses which can only be opened if at least ten students register for the classes.  

Abdurrahman Kurt, a member of the AKP Central Decision and Administrative Board (MKYK), also supported the campaign.

“Language is the memory, identity and honor of a society,” he said on Twitter.

In a response to a parliamentary question, Turkey’s Education Minister Mahmut Ozer revealed that a total of 20.255 students had chosen to take Kurdish language classes last year, with students ranging from grades five to eight registering for classes in both Kurmanji and Zazaki dialects of the Kurdish language.