Beth Zalin, Syria -- Amid Syria's ongoing political and cultural transformations, renewed debate is emerging over the future of the Assyrian language and its place in the country's educational and constitutional systems, with advocates calling for its recognition as an integral part of Syria's national identity and historical heritage.

The Olaf Taw Association for Assyrian Language is among the organizations working to preserve and promote the language. Its efforts focus on safeguarding Assyrian under current conditions and securing its constitutional recognition and inclusion in the education system on an equal footing with other languages.

Speaking on Suroyo TV's Political Files program, Shmuni Hirdo, an official with Olaf Taw, discussed the state of Assyrian-language education, Olaf Taw's ongoing initiatives, and its objectives and plans for the coming period.

In the interview, Hirdo said the association had recently made significant progress in promoting the language by developing comprehensive curricula covering subjects across both scientific and literary disciplines, from the preparatory stage through secondary education. She also highlighted its efforts to train teaching staff.

"Work is ongoing to train teachers and prepare them to teach Assyrian academically if it is officially introduced into schools," Hirdo said.

Olaf Taw has also organized language courses for people of different ages and backgrounds, including those who do not speak Assyrian as their first language. Hirdo highlighted participation by members of non-Assyrian and non-Christian communities, some of whom had achieved fluency and received certificates upon completing their studies.

Alongside in-person instruction, Olaf taw launched digital platforms and Facebook-based lessons covering Assyrian vocabulary, writing, and language skills to meet growing demand from learners and interested people in different countries.

Call for Official Recognition

Hirdo said the association's primary political and constitutional objective is to secure full official recognition of Assyrian as a national and cultural language of Syria, rather than treating it solely as a liturgical language used in religious services.

She described Olaf taw's communications with government institutions and called for a presidential decree granting Assyrian legal and educational status comparable to that provided for Kurdish through official decisions.

Hirdo also revealed that a delegation of advisers from the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Education had visited the association's headquarters to review its curricula and examine the possibility of their official adoption.

Despite these contacts, she identified the lack of practical implementation as a major obstacle. Assyrian curricula have yet to be fully implemented in private schools and churches, she said, while the limited number of students officially enrolled in Assyrian-language programs has hindered efforts to establish the curricula as a regular part of education.

New Strategy and Teacher Training

Hirdo said the association would continue pursuing official recognition and the institutional integration of Assyrian. It is preparing a new strategy that will include an intensive work program and updated curricula designed to meet contemporary educational requirements and the needs of different learner groups.

Olaf Taw also intends to maintain communication with government bodies to advance the linguistic and constitutional rights of the Assyrian people.

Hirdo said the association would continue engaging with Suroye communities in the diaspora and seek to benefit from the academic expertise of Assyrian-language researchers and specialists in Europe and other Western countries. She also called for greater political and media advocacy for the language, arguing that support should extend beyond financial assistance.

Another priority, she said, is developing educational institutes and institutions capable of training and graduating qualified Assyrian-language teachers and specialists, helping create sustainable employment opportunities for Assyrian-speaking professionals.

Hirdo called on civil society organizations, Churches, and Assyrian political parties to unite behind these efforts. She proposed establishing a joint committee and a unified delegation to present the community's linguistic and national demands to the Syrian government and international bodies.

"The Assyrian language represents the identity and the common bond uniting all members of the Assyrian people across every Syrian governorate and beyond," Hirdo said, emphasizing that securing language rights requires initiative, solidarity and coordinated action.