AMED/WAN –Kobanê refugees received their report cards in Diyarbakır yesterday from the native-language educational center MAPER.

The Yenişehir municipal government in the city of Diyarbakır has been offering education to children from Kobanê since September, when Daesh attacks on the city displaced tens of thousands of Kobanê residents. The educational center at MAPER ("House of Support"), run by the city and not by the Turkish government, offered students education in their native languages, with classes in Kurdish, Arabic, painting, music, folklore, mathematics and theater.

"Our language was forbidden to us for years, it was banned," said municipal co-mayor Ülkü Baytaş, speaking at the report card ceremony, which was held the weekend of Kurdish Language Day. "The report cards being given today are a beautiful response to this ban."

120 students lined up for their report cards yesterday. Six older students graduated with a teaching certificate from MAPER.

(sg-be-ng/gk/fk/cm)