Syrian Minister of Educationasa Mohammed Abdul Rahman Turko issued a decision on Thursday, August 27, amending the executive instructions for implementing Decree No. 13 of 2026 and allowing Kurdish to be taught as a national language in public and private schools in areas where Kurdish citizens make up a significant share of the population.
According to the decision issued by the Ministry of Education, Kurdish will be taught at all educational levels and will form part of the approved curricula.
The language will be taught through two courses. Kurdish language classes will be held three times a week alongside Arabic and English, with students’ grades included in their final overall scores under the approved system. An activities course will also be taught once a week.
To facilitate the transitional period, the decision allows students, during the first academic year after it takes effect, to choose whether to study social studies, history, geography, and philosophy in Arabic or Kurdish under the approved curricula. This option will be limited to that academic year only.
The decision tasked the National Center for Educational Curriculum Development with preparing Kurdish language curricula for all educational levels in accordance with approved scientific and educational standards and in line with the national curriculum framework. The center will also translate the activities course in accordance with the approved activities guide.
Teaching Staff Requirements
Regarding educational and teaching staff, the decision tasked the Directorate of Education and the Directorate of Educational Supervision with providing the teachers needed to teach Kurdish, whether from within or outside the ministry’s existing staff. Those assigned may include holders of university degrees or teacher training institute certificates who are proficient in Kurdish, or, when necessary and according to actual needs, holders of secondary school certificates who are proficient in the language.
The decision requires candidates to pass written and oral examinations to verify their Kurdish proficiency. The Directorate of Educational Supervision will conduct the tests in coordination with the National Center for Educational Curriculum Development and according to unified, objective standards.
Decree No. 13 and Recognition of Cultural Diversity
The Education Ministry’s decision is based on Decree No. 13 of 2026, issued by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on January 16. The decree granted Syrian citizenship to all citizens of Kurdish origin residing in Syria, including those not listed in the civil registry, and repealed all exceptional laws and measures resulting from the 1962 al-Hasakah census.
The decree also designated Nowruz, celebrated by Kurds on March 21, as a national holiday and described it as a day of fraternity and spring. It affirmed that Syrian Kurdish citizens are an integral and authentic part of the Syrian people and that their cultural and linguistic identity is an inseparable part of Syria’s diverse and unified national identity.
The decree required the state to protect cultural and linguistic diversity and guarantee Kurdish citizens’ right to preserve their heritage and arts and develop their mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty. It recognized Kurdish as a national language that may be taught in public and private schools in areas where Kurds constitute a significant share of the population, either as part of elective curricula or as an educational and cultural activity.
The decree also required state media and educational institutions to adopt an inclusive national discourse. It legally prohibited discrimination or exclusion based on ethnicity or language and stipulated penalties under existing laws for anyone who incites ethnic strife.
The Education Ministry’s decision provides an implementation mechanism for these principles, establishing a practical framework for teaching Kurdish within approved curricula more than eight months after the decree was issued. The move aims to safeguard cultural and linguistic rights and strengthen cultural diversity as a foundation of national unity and Syria’s civilizational identity.