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QAMISHLI, Syria – Children have returned to schools in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northern Syria after a deal between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian regime in Damascus allowed a pause in the daily Turkish shelling.
For five days, parents had kept their children home as the Turkish military and its Syrian proxies attacked the border city.
“There were sounds of the airstrikes and bombings. We were staying at home and didn’t go out of our homes. We were afraid. That’s why we couldn’t come to school,” said Roniya Sleman, a student at one local school.
“Now we can go to school because the war has ended.”
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday struck a deal with the regime for Syrian Arab Army troops to deploy to the border with Turkey.
Following the agreement, Syrian government teachers visited one local school, wanting to introduce the regime curriculum.
“Two Syrian teachers came here including a manager and an employee,” said Khane Issa, the school’s administrator. “They asked us to fly their flags at the school. We prevented them saying we’re not allowed to do this, you have come with no orders.”
The autonomous administration of northern Syria created its own curriculum, teaching in local languages including Kurdish. About 500 schools in Qamishli are teaching under this system. Another 17 schools are supervised by the Syrian government.
SDF leaders say the agreement with Damascus is purely military and that their governance will not change.
“Until now, nothing is new. We left the situation as it is. The self-administration is governing and working with all its institutions,” said Samira Haj Ali, head of Kurdish education in Qamishli.
When the threat from Turkey is over, the northern Syrian administration will begin talks with Damascus about the future of governance, including control over education.
Translated by Sarkawt Mohammed
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