A hundred years of assimilation: Context of Kurdish people in the field education

Abstract

This research aims to question how the Kurdish people is affected by the assimilation policies starting from the 1923 until today. It aims to explain how the education system serves the assimilation policies and how and for what reasons the Kurdish language and culture are being destroyed. The thesis provides reasons why Kurdish language and literature do not develop. In order to explain these situations, the thesis focuses on primary school education within the education system. The aim of the education system implemented in North Kurdistan is to raise Kurdish children with the awareness of being Turkish. The easiest way to assimilate a society is to disrupt the language structure of that society and prevent its heritage to be transferred to future generations. This master thesis refers to international human rights and draw on the reflections gained from struggles of minorities and indigenous peoples against assimilation and integration policies of nation states.