NEWS CENTER - Makhmur Education Co-spokesperson Berivan Kaya, who stated that they established 11 schools in Makhmur Camp with their own means, said, "The education system in the camp is a model for the world."

 

Due to the state oppression in the Kurdish cities in 1990's in Turkey, scores of people had to migrate to the Makhmur camp especially from Hakkari and Şırnak. The pressure on the Makhmur camp has been increasing lately.

At least 12 thousand people, most of whom consistos of women and children live in the camp that is under the protection of United Nations (BM).  After the murder of Osman Köse, the Turkish Consul General in Erbil, in the Federated Kurdistan Region on July 17, 2019, the Federated Kurdistan Region Government began to impose an embargo on the Makhmur Camp. In this process, where entry and exit from the camp were prohibited, citizens with health problems were prevented from going to hospitals. Air strikes were carried out on the camp from time to time by Turkish drones (SİHA).

 

Despite all the pressures, since the camp's establishment, a lot of studies have been carried out in the field of language. Hundreds of students have graduated from schools educating the children in their mother tongues. Makhmur Camp Education Co-spokesperson and Kurdish Language Instructor Berivan Kaya spoke to our agency about the education system in the camp. 

 

IT STARTS WITH AWARENESS

 

Expressing that there has been an increase in the number of students with the establishment of the education system in the camp, Kaya said, "We have intensified our education activities in the last 2 years. We have 11 schools, 5 of which are primary schools. We have 3 thousand students, 600 of whom are primary schools. Our basic education starts with self-awareness. Self-realized individuals can only be raised in schools from the childhood. The basis of self-realization begins with education in the mother tongue."

 

Saying that as the number of students increases, they experience a shortage of teachers and therefore have difficulties, Kaya said, "Children may have difficulties in learning and recognizing language when they go to primary school. Kurdish education starts from the first level and continues until the third level. Students learn to define, read and write at this level. At this stage, we start the point-scoring system. At this stage, they take courses in mathematics, language, science and social sciences. There are 820 students in our secondary school and we have 29 classrooms. These schools have departments. Each teacher teaches in their own branch. We have courses from Kurdish to history lessons. In addition to these, we offer ideological courses. There are courses such as Jineology and Women's History."

 

Saying that they needed new schools because the number of students in the camp increased, Kaya said, "The number of students preparing for university changes according to the years. In some years, there are 23 preparatory classes. As the number of students at the university preparatory level increases, the number of teachers increases accordingly."

 

SCHOOL FOR DOWN SYNDROME

 

Expressing that they also carry out special studies for children with autism, Kaya said, “We have a separate school called Umut (Hope) for children with autism and children with Down syndrome. They are taught by instructors who are experts in psychology and sociology. Our school sets an example in the region. There is great interest in our school. Many families neighboring our camp apply to enroll their children to this school. There are applications from the villages of Mosul. This is a success for us.”

 

Stating that a foundation was created and developed in Kurdish education in the camp, Kaya said, "The camp is a wide education area. The most important thing in the Kurdistan education system is education in the mother tongue. Makhmur Camp is the basis of education for other parts of Kurdistan. In this context, the education system in the camp is also a model for the world."

 

STUDENTS ARE VERY HAPPY

 

Canda Mustafa, a student at Makhmur Camp, emphasized the importance of education in one's own mother tongue and said, “We receive education in foreign languages, English and Arabic. I am very happy to study and speak in my mother tongue.” One of the other students, Elif Erbey, said that "I am happy to be educated in my mother tongue.  Our mother tongue is forbidden in Turkey. The Kurds living there receive education in Turkish. This is a very bad situation."