Atabay: Right to education in Kurdish must be guaranteed by the Constitution

Egitim-Sen Van branch co-chair, Murat Atabay, said that the biggest problem in education in Turkey is that Kurdish children are not trained in their mother tongue.

Education Sen Van branch co-chair, Murat Atabay, said that Kurdish children started the 2022-2023 academic year within the framework of assimilation policies.

Stating that one of the main problems they have been talking about for years is that Kurdish children do not receive education in their mother tongue, Atabay told ANF: "This problem comes to the fore again at the beginning of every academic year. Kurdish children are subject to assimilation. The fact that children do not receive education in their mother tongue is a big problem in terms of their social and personal development as well as their success in education."

Atalay said that children start school with the disadvantage of learning in a language other than their mother tongue and pointed to the psychological trauma this caused and how this affects self-confidence.

Atabay said that what needs to be done is clear and added: "Kurdish language should be guaranteed by the constitution. The first step to be taken for this is a proper education policy, an education curriculum affirming the right of Kurdish children to receive education in their mother tongue."