Kobani University's language shift sparks student backlash
Students at Kobani University in Rojava say the switch to Arabic-language instruction has made coursework difficult to follow, and are calling for a return to Kurdish-language education.
RastinewsStudents at Kobani University in Rojava say Arabic-language instruction has left them struggling academically, and are demanding the university return to teaching in Kurdish.
According to Kurdistan24, students who studied in Kurdish under the Autonomous Administration's education system from primary school through high school are now hitting a language barrier at university. Students say they have trouble grasping scientific subjects taught in Arabic, and that the shift has hurt their academic performance.
Mustafa Moro, a faculty member at Kobani University, confirmed the problem, saying some students struggle with Arabic-taught classes.
"This is true. Some students are having difficulty with Arabic," Moro said. "But since some course material was prepared in Arabic from the start, it isn't possible for us to translate it into Kurdish this year."
Moro said some scientific concepts and terminology exist only in Arabic or English, making translation into another language difficult under current conditions.
Kobani University began operating in Kurdish in 2017. After opening new faculties and departments, university administration decided to change the language of instruction. Under that decision, newly opened departments now teach in Arabic. The university currently has about 4,000 students enrolled across 24 different departments.
Some faculty members say they are willing to let students answer exam questions in Kurdish, but students view this only as a "temporary fix" and are demanding that Kurdish be permanently restored as the language of instruction.
Afrin and Aleppo students also object
As the debate in Kobani continues, the Afrin and Aleppo Students' Association issued a statement saying the Syrian Ministry of Education's decision to make its Arabic curriculum mandatory for students educated in Kurdish through 12th grade amounts to a violation of their right to education and will harm their futures.
The students called for the current Kurdish-language education system to remain in place for the 2026-2027 school year until a unified curriculum is prepared for all of Syria.