According to the data of the United Nations (UN), nearly 6 thousand languages ​​are spoken in the world and approximately 2 thousand 500 of these languages ​​are in danger of extinction. There are 36 local languages in Turkey and 18 of these languages are in danger of extinction. While experts call for education in mother tongue in the face of this danger, those who are ruling the country keeps insisting on monolingual education system. Recently, Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk responded to the parliamentary question of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Siirt MP Sıdık Taş regarding education in mother tongue and said, "Languages other than Turkish can not be taught in schools as a mother tongue".

 

Education and Science Workers Union (Eğitim Sen) Giresun Branch President Ergün Önal evaluated the response of Minister Selçuk and the problems experienced in children who cannot receive education in their mother tongue.

 

RIGHT TO EDUCATION IN MOTHER TONGUE

 

Stressing that the basis of scientific education is education in the mother tongue, Önal emphasized that this situation is a scientific fact rather than a 'goodwill gesture'.  Saying that the right to education in mother tongue should be prrovided "unconditionally", Önal said, "Using this right depends on the people who are willing to use it. Recieving education in one's mother tongue is everybody's right in this country. This is not open to discussion. This is a basic human right just like the right to housing.Maybe we will pay a greater price than what's necessary, but we will win this right."

 

WORDS OF THE MINISTER

 

Underlining that recognition of this right will contribute to co-existance and peace of the peoples, Önal said: "In this sense, what the Minister of Education said is not a scientific thing. It is a sentence spoken within the framework of his own political position and interests. Science and accuracy have always sent thoughts that have no reality on the political ground to the dustbin of the history. In this land, the peoples will sing together and they will be educated together. This can be prevented by policies of pressure. But one day, this sentence of the Minister of Education of the country will be considered a crime."

 

PRESSURE ON THE LAZ LANGUAGE

 

Underlining that he is a Laz from Rize, Önal told about the pressure on their own language. Önal said: "When we were in primary school, we had a course called 'Preventing speaking in Laz Language'. We were being subjected to violence when they learn we spoke Laz language at home. My teacher used to say, " Ğomaneri muya Lazca isinapi?' (Why did you speak in Laz language yesterday?). That teacher was also Laz and the sentence he used to blame us was in Laz language. But we were being battered for speaking in our mother tongue at home. What I'm trying to say is, this is cultural assimilation and it's not only applied on the Kurds."

 

Underlining that they were stuck between two cultures due to the lack of education in mother tongue and it was a trauma for them, Önal said: "We can not adapt to either sides. This pressure on monolingual Turkey is the cause of all the trauma we had to suffer, it is the reason we don't have democratic institutions. Continuing on this insistance is not scientific. This was a planned intervention. And the reason why Turkey is not successful in science is simply this. If you ban somebody's mother tongue, you ban their freedom and they never feel safe again."

 

 

MA / Tolga Güney