The Healing Impact of Education in Mother-Tongue

Brief Summary

The Healing Impact of Education in Mother-Tongue is a research project that aims to examine and make visible the restorative effects of alternative Kurdish-language educational institutions at the individual, pedagogical, and societal levels.

It is Conducted jointly by Şükran Demir and Özgür Ünal in Diyarbakır, Cizre, and Yüksekova. Also, the research was based on oral history interviews, field observations, and document analysis involving students, teachers, parents, and school founders.

The findings indicate that mother-tongue education strengthens children’s self-confidence, expressive capacity, and sense of belonging, while reinforcing cultural continuity and rights awareness among families. Although school closures, legal pressures, and concerns regarding public identity disclosure posed challenges to data collection, the study was sustained through access strategies grounded in trust-based relationships.

While demonstrating the importance of mother-tongue education from a restorative justice perspective, the research also envisions strengthening advocacy efforts in the next phase to better communicate the historical, pedagogical, and social value of these institutions to the public.

Why Is It Important?

Language forms the foundation of the relationship individuals build with themselves, their communities, and the world they inhabit. It shapes modes of thinking, identity formation, memory transmission, and social participation. For this reason, restricting access to education in mother-tongue constitutes not merely a pedagogical deficiency, but a profound harm to identity, cultural continuity, and community cohesion.

This study seeks to make visible how mother-tongue education practices repair this harm through concrete examples. Alternative Kurdish-language educational institutions, through collective governance models, community solidarity, and cultural transmission practices, create emotionally secure spaces for children while contributing to the reclamation of historically suppressed language and identity experiences within families.

By demonstrating that education in mother-tongue is not only a pedagogical necessity but also a fundamental requirement in terms of cultural rights, social healing, and restorative justice, the research serves as a strong reference point for policymakers, education professionals, and rights-based organizations.

What Was Done?

Research Design:
Research questions were shaped through preliminary interviews with teachers, parents, and actors involved in founding these institutions. Key analytical themes included identity development, self-confidence, community belonging, cultural memory, and pedagogical approaches.

Sampling:
The study examined Ferzad Kemanger, Berîvan, Üveyş Ana, and Ali Erel Primary Schools, as well as early childhood institutions such as Zarokistan and Zimzim. This allowed for a comparative assessment of the impact of  education in mother-tongue from early childhood through primary school.

Data Collection:
Oral history interviews were conducted with 11 educators, 5 students, and 12 parents.
Additionally, field observations, institutional document analysis, curriculum reviews, and legal framework assessments were carried out.

Ethical and Protection Measures:
Anonymization procedures, secure data storage, informed consent protocols, and summary-based reporting methods for sensitive content were applied for all participants. Audio recordings were destroyed after transcription.

Data Analysis:
The data were categorized under themes including the right to education, alternative school models, curriculum structures, closure processes, and restorative justice perspectives.

Reporting and Dissemination:
A research report, a short promotional video, policy recommendations, and multilingual accessible materials were prepared. Plans were made to disseminate findings through panels, public talks, advocacy meetings, and international platforms.

Visual / Multimedia Section

No visual materials are currently available for this project.