Eğitim Sen: People should receive education in their mother tongue

Eğitim Sen Amed Branch said: "All people in these lands should receive education in their mother tongue."

Eğitim Sen Amed No. 1 Branch Co-chair Emine Akşahin underlined that language is an important part of culture and said: "Therefore, language shapes societies. Thus, language becomes the identity of societies. In order for a country to develop socially and economically, that country’s children should be allowed to grow up with their own language and culture and these should be provided unconditionally for new generations. Only with these can societies develop and progress. This is why the rulers attacked societies they want to leave behind primarily on the basis of language and culture. All languages other than the official language in these countries are banned or silenced.”

Akşahin continued: “In our country, the mother tongue is Kurdish, Arabic, Laz, Armenian, Chechen, Syriac, etc. Children are from their own language. Although this situation affects the whole society, it mostly affects children. Scientifically, pedagogically and in personal training, the importance of the mother tongue for children is clear. It is clear that being denied this right negatively affects all children. This is not destiny and must be changed. We, as Eğitim Sen, say that all peoples in these lands should receive education in their mother tongue, as we have stated in our charter. There is no other option if we want to secure the survival of languages."

Akşahin said that education in the mother tongue is optional but the necessary legislation is not implemented. In the past years, many unlawful practices have been implemented, such as choosing courses on behalf of the students and parents, preparing the forms containing certain courses instead of the printed form of the Ministry of National Education and distributing them to the students. Akşahin said: “We ask our members and parents to apply to our branches and representative offices to expose similar practices. We state once again that we will stand by our parents and students, who are victimized for whatever reason, during the process of determining elective courses."