Syrian education revamp: Girls' schooling unrestricted, Baath party references removed

New government focuses on rebuilding Syria’s education system, damaged by 13 years of war.

Syria's new education minister, Nazir Mohammad al-Qadri, has announced significant reforms to the country’s school system, including the removal of all references to the Baath Party, which ruled Syria for decades. Despite the changes, girls' access to education will remain unrestricted, and the existing curriculum will largely stay intact.

“Our mission is very difficult today because the regime destroyed the schools, so there’s a need to restore and build more than 9,000 schools,” Qadri stated. Over half of Syria’s 18,000 schools were damaged or destroyed during the conflict.

Qadri emphasized that religious studies, both Muslim and Christian, will continue to be part of the curriculum, and schools will remain segregated by gender after primary level, consistent with longstanding norms.

The new government, led by Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has adopted a moderate tone, seeking to include minority groups and focus on reconstruction. With schools opening soon, “nationalist studies,” which previously taught Baathist ideology, will no longer be mandatory.

Syria’s education system, once a regional model, faces challenges from Western sanctions and widespread destruction, but the new administration is working quickly to rebuild and reform.

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Syria education Revamp