Kürdi Der Awaiting Response For Kurdish-Teaching Schools

Kürdi Der Chairman Selahattin Gültekin said they have been awaiting a response regarding the reopening of Ferzad Kemanger Elementary School, a Kurdish-teaching school, despite Education Minister’s statement. The aforementioned school, on the other hand, is de facto functional. 

Avcı: No permission 

Yesterday, Education Minister Nabi Avcı said the application deadline for the opening other schools expired on September 1 and they wouldn’t allow other schools this year. 

Selahattin Gültekin, however, said they haven’t received a response on their application and they would evaluate the response accordingly. 

Previously, three Kurdish-teaching schools were opened in Yüksekova, Cizre and Diyarbakır which were briefly sealed by the related governor’s offices.

Gültekin reminded that they made official applications for Cizre and Yüksekova. 

Reactions in Yüksekova

Yüksekova Eğitim-Sen protested the pressures on Kurdish-language schools.

According to Yüksekovahaber, a press statement was made outside Dıbıstana Seratayi Ya Dayîka Uveyş Elementary School. 

The statement claimed that the government attempted to shape the society according to its political and ideological goals through the education system.   

Principals are being dismissed 

The association also criticized the government for putting pressures on educators. 

“A similar practice to what happened in the 1990s [regarding the Kurdish problem] is happening now in the education system in Turkey. 

“Education Ministry has reassigned its school principals within a agenda to execute its imposing policies of ignoring other cultures, religions and languages. It has dismissed 96 percent of Eğitim-Sen affiliated principals.”

Demands

The statement went on with their demands: 

Removal of all obstacles against a secular, scientific and mother-tongue friendly education system; reorganization of curriculums according to scientific methods and not religious dogmas; immediate halt to political assignments, forced reassignments, arbitrary work and performance-based evaluation. (YY/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.