The Minister of Education in the caretaker government of Damascus, Nadhir al-Qadri, issued a clarification regarding the decision to amend the school curriculum after the controversy surrounding it.

In a statement published on Facebook today, Thursday, January 2, al-Qadri said that the curricula in Syria remain unchanged until specialized committees are formed to review and scrutinize them.

Al-Qadri added that the amendment made yesterday pertains to the removal of symbols of the previous regime and its glorification, and the adoption of images of the new Syrian flag (the flag of the revolution) instead of the previous flag, on all school books.

The minister explained that the adjustments included correcting “incorrect” information that the previous regime relied on in explaining some Quranic verses, adopting what is found in exegesis books for all educational stages.

After controversy

Yesterday, the Ministry of Education issued a decision to amend the Syrian curricula that were approved in areas controlled by the previous regime, effective from December 8, 2024, starting from the first grade of primary school to the third year of secondary school.

The amendments included the removal of references related to the symbols, images, and slogans of the previous regime, such as the national anthem, along with some historical, religious, and scientific information.

Additionally, some nationally significant slogans were replaced with others that have a religious dimension; for example, the phrase “The brave are those who defend the homeland” was changed to “For the sake of God.”

Statements by the Syrian Minister of Education came in response to the amendments sparking debate among local activists, human rights advocates, and Syrian specialists regarding their nature and the legality of changing the curriculum by an interim government.

Decisions after the fall of the regime

The Ministry of Education in the Syrian caretaker government issued several decisions regarding the organization and modification of the academic plan for this year due to the suspension of school hours following the regime’s fall.

Yesterday, the Ministry canceled the subject of National Education from the school curricula and exams for the current academic year, deciding to compensate for its grades with Islamic and Christian religious education subjects.

The decision to cancel the subject of National Education came because it contained what Minister al-Qadri deemed “incorrect information” that reinforces the narrative of the previous regime and entrenches the foundations of the ruling Baath Party in Syria before the regime’s fall.

The ministry also nullified the results of the candidacy test for individuals applying as free study candidates for the current year’s general secondary certificate examination and allowed them to register directly to take the exam in both scientific and literary branches.

The Ministry confirmed the continuation of the plan to automate the general secondary certificate examinations for the current first semester, in subjects such as Physics for the scientific branch, History for the literary branch, and Mathematics for the vocational branch.