“We learn Democratic Nation Principles in our mother tongue”

Teachers and students from Shedade say they are learning the principles of Democratic Nation through the text books prepared in their mother tongue.

Students in the once ISIS-invaded region, especially in the rural south of Heseke, have been deprived of their right to an education. Gangs had turned the schools in the invaded areas into centers for murder and massacres.

After the SDF completely liberated the Heseke Canton from ISIS gangs, the region has come back into life. After the Autonomous Administration was formed, civilian institutions under the administration were opened for the people to organize. One of the areas the Autonomous Administration gives importance to is the efforts for education.

The Autonomous Administration has opened education centers to restructure schools in the region. The most recent arrival is the education center in the Mergeda subdistrict.

The first education center was opened in the Shedade district.

After these efforts, the number of students in schools in the region rose to 14.000.

Meanwhile, because a majority of the region’s population are Arabs, the Autonomous Administration approved the printing of new text books so children can receive education in their mother tongue. The Democratic Society Education Committee (KPC-D) then printed books in the language of the local people.

Certain circles have been putting forth allegations about the Autonomous Administration’s education efforts in the region, claiming that the Autonomous Administration had declared Kurdish the official language in schools and imposed the Kurdish language on all peoples.

Students and teachers in Shedade spoke to ANHA to uncover the truth of the allegations.

Teachers said the education term has been organized well and that the books they use to teach are in Arabic. They added that the Democratic Nation Principles call for all peoples to receive education in their own language.

Teachers also stressed that the allegations are an attempt to pit the peoples of the region against each other and that they aim to destroy the gains the Democratic Autonomous Administration has made.

Teachers added that the text books prepared by the Autonomous Administration are easy to follow and the students who were left behind can thus easily make up for their shortcomings.

Students said they receive education in their mother tongue.