Hesen Huseyîn Denîz
The 2025–2026 academic year of Kurdish language education in Switzerland concluded with a celebration in Zurich, highlighting nearly two decades of voluntary efforts to preserve the Kurdish language and culture among children growing up in the diaspora.
The Kurdish Education Association, which has been operating since 2008, currently provides Kurdish language classes in the Swiss cantons of Bern, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Lucerne, and Zurich. In cooperation with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture and the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PH Zurich), the association has developed 21 pedagogical textbooks, while Kurdish teachers receive officially recognized teaching certificates. Most significantly, students’ achievements in Kurdish language classes are officially recorded in their Swiss school report cards.
The school year ended with a public celebration held on Saturday along the banks of the Limmat River in Zurich. Kurdish students and their families gathered to mark the occasion, while Kurdish musician Yadigar performed songs in both Kurmanji and Sorani.
The Zurich Kurdish School currently teaches 45 students across four classes, including two preschool groups, one primary-level class, and one intermediate-level class. Students recently received their certificates from their Kurdish teachers, which they will submit to their Swiss schools. Swiss teachers then include the students’ Kurdish language performance in their official report cards.
This official recognition encourages participation in Kurdish education and contributes to students’ academic development. Besides learning their mother tongue, students also study Kurdish culture and the geography of Kurdistan. These lessons strengthen their self-confidence, reinforce their cultural identity, and foster a stronger sense of belonging.
According to educators, students who develop strong literacy skills in their mother tongue often perform better in mainstream education as well. Kurdish language education provides a solid foundation for learning additional languages such as German, French, Italian, and English more effectively.
Eighteen years of voluntary commitment
Kurdish language education in Switzerland is coordinated by the Kurdish Education Association, which has offered Kurdish courses for children and adults across the country since 2008.
The association’s mission is to provide impartial education in the Kurdish language and culture. It operates independently of political parties, religious groups, governments, or other organizations, receives no financial support from external institutions, and relies entirely on the voluntary efforts of dedicated educators and community members.
Official recognition for Kurdish language education was first obtained in the Canton of Zurich in 2014, followed by Bern and Basel in 2015, before expanding to several other Swiss cantons.
When at least 15 children register in a particular area, the association requests a classroom from the local municipality, allowing Kurdish classes to be held within public primary school buildings close to where students live.
Building an educational infrastructure
To improve the quality of instruction, the Kurdish Education Association, in cooperation with the Kurdish Institute of Switzerland, PH Zurich, and the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, has produced a comprehensive set of 21 educational textbooks covering every level from preschool through upper secondary education.
These books are considered the first modern pedagogical and didactic Kurdish curriculum developed specifically for diaspora education. Two textbooks have been prepared for each academic level, alongside a separate teaching guide titled Guide to Teaching Kurdish, designed to support instructors in delivering standardized and effective lessons.
The association also operates the websites kurdisch.ch and pirtuk.ch, where families can register children for classes, purchase textbooks, or enroll in Kurdish language courses.
Kurdish classes across Switzerland
Over the years, official Kurdish language courses have been organized in numerous Swiss cities, including Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Lucerne, Aarau, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Chur, Basel, Pratteln, Muttenz, Rheinfelden, Frauenfeld, and Zurich.
Today, nearly one hundred children attend Kurdish classes in the cantons of Bern, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Lucerne, and Zurich, where instruction is provided by ten teachers.
Kurdish in Switzerland’s official education system
Representatives of the Kurdish Education Association participate twice a year in Switzerland’s Mother Tongue Language Education Conference. Kurdish teachers also attend pedagogical training at PH Zurich and receive official teaching certificates.
For the Kurdish community, this institutional recognition represents an invaluable achievement. The association encourages Kurdish families to take advantage of these opportunities by enrolling their children in Kurdish language classes.
The association emphasizes that, for Kurds, the Kurdish language is not merely a marker of identity but the foundation of cultural continuity. In the diaspora, preserving the mother tongue and cultural heritage remains one of the most effective ways to protect future generations from assimilation.
Through its long-standing voluntary work, the Kurdish Education Association continues to provide this opportunity to Kurdish children and families throughout Switzerland.
Kurdîya gotarê di vê lînkê de ye
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