The first significant test for Syria’s new leadership in Damascus lies in their approach to education reform, starting with revising the national curriculum. This decision holds the potential to rescue several lost generations and chart a course for the future of a fractured yet resilient nation.
Having worked extensively across Syria over the past 13 years—spanning the northeast, northwest, and regime-controlled areas—I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges and opportunities within Syria’s education system. As someone with both professional experience and deep familial ties to Damascus and Aleppo, my attachment to Syria’s rich history, culture, and landscapes compels me to reflect on this pivotal moment.
Last week, the new leadership announced plans to overhaul the curriculum, replacing remnants of the former regime’s Baathist ideology with values rooted in science, tolerance, and inclusivity. This shift is promising, but it must be executed with caution and foresight to truly benefit Syria’s youth and reflect the nation’s diversity.
The Problem with Politicized Curricula
During my tenure in Syria’s education sector, I observed a troubling trend: various local groups, from tribal factions to militias, sought to politicize education. They pushed for curricula that served their narrow interests, often at the expense of students’ critical skills and future readiness. This approach failed to prioritize what kind of Syria its youth should envision—a Syria capable of thriving in the 21st knowledge and AI century.
Historically, Syria’s education system was renowned for producing skilled professionals in fields such as agriculture, civil, mechanical, and industrial engineering, as well as medicine.
While the K-12 and higher education curriculum lagged in modern themes and English proficiency, it was nonetheless a solid foundation that reflected decades of accumulated knowledge. However, over the past 13 years, the use of education as a political tool has fragmented this once-strong system, undermining its legitimacy and purpose.
A Curriculum for Unity and Progress
It is reasonable for any nation to incorporate its history, culture, and values into its education system. In Syria, with its rich tapestry of ethnic and religious diversity—spanning Kurds, Sunnis, Yazidis, Christians, and others—it is imperative to create a curriculum that fosters tolerance, unity, and understanding. A modern curriculum should reflect the aspirations of “One Syria” and prepare students to become global citizens while remaining deeply connected to their roots.
International development organizations have made commendable efforts to reach Syrian youth across all regions in the last 13 years and deliver quality education. They have worked to deliver high-quality education outcomes that transcends political divisions. However, these efforts must align with a broader national vision now, one that prepares Syrian children and youth for the knowledge economy of the 21st century with emphasis on STEM education. The focus should be on equipping them with technical skills, language proficiency, and critical thinking, rather than perpetuating the divisive ideologies that have plagued the nation for decades.
A Call to Leadership
To Syria’s new leadership in Damascus: this is your moment to redefine the role of education in nation-building. Focus on creating a curriculum that reflects Syria’s diversity and history while preparing its youth for the future. Move away from political indoctrination and towards an education system rooted in rule of law, institutional integrity, and the universal values of tolerance and innovation.
Syria’s children deserve access to a secular, scientific, inclusive, and forward-looking education that equips them for the challenges and opportunities of the modern world. The path forward must honor their resilience, culture, foster their potential, and reconnect them with the shared heritage that unites all Syrians.
Syria’s 21st century must be a Syria of unity, progress, and opportunity—not one mired in the political divisions of the past. The future lies in classrooms from Hasakah to Suwayda, where every Syrian child can dream of and work toward a brighter tomorrow.
