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“Despite our best efforts to secure new school books for our children, we have not been successful in finding any at schools or book depots. The books available in private libraries cost at least five times as much, and we have no solution other than relying on old, worn-out books that the public schools have distributed to us, while hoping to come across more suitable alternatives”.
This is a problem recounted by a significant percentage of the parents of students of the first and second educational levels (students under the age of 18) in the areas under the control of the Syrian government. This situation persists two months after the beginning of the new school year, whereas the needed books should have been distributed at nominal prices or free of charge for the primary level (students under 12 years old). Meanwhile, the areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Al-Jazeera areas) deliver new books to teachers and students at reasonable prices, but offer a completely different curriculum. As for the areas that fall under the control of the opposition groups in northern and western Syria (Idlib and western Aleppo), a third curriculum is taught in books that people have to pay for themselves.
Things are no different in post-high-school education levels. The country is divided into educational regions much in the same way. In all three Syrian geographies, new trends in private education are emerging, but they are suspected of corruption and marked by the general deterioration of the quality of education.
This is a general portrayal of the Syrian educational scene at the moment and its organic connection to the forces who wield control on the ground. It indicates an ambiguous and divided future for the generations that will graduate from these schools, at a time when the country’s population has reached nearly 30 million, most of whom lie below the international poverty line (IPL), not to mention that half of those are young people seeking an education that qualifies them for the job market.
Education after a decade of war
According to local and international statistics, the attendance rate of students at the primary level in Syria reached 98% before the onset of the current conflict, while literacy rates for both genders were around 90%. Today, according to international statistics, there are 2.4 million children out of school, a million of whom live in opposition-held areas. A much larger number of students are at risk of dropping out due to various factors, especially students in the areas of the ongoing clashes and the areas that were struck by the February 2022 earthquake in four governorates, namely Latakia, Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama.
The coordination and standardization of teaching and learning materials in Syria is one of the main challenges nationwide. The prevailing political division has led to the adoption of three distinct curricula in Syria, each aligning either partially or entirely with the authorities in control of the respective regions.
There are both public and private education sectors in Syria. Public education comprises two types: formal and informal. Formal education is divided into two stages, the first is compulsory and includes children aged 6 to 16, known as the primary stage (grades 1 to 9). The second is the secondary stage for students aged 16 to 18 (grades 10 to 12, including the baccalaureate in its four branches: scientific, literary, commercial, industrial, and artistic). The latter is not part of mandatory education. All students attend public schools, and education for all pre-university classes remains free up to this moment.
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As for “informal” education, which is usually referred to as Curriculum (B), it is taught in parallel to the official curriculum approved by the Government’s Ministry of Education in cooperation with the UNESCO. It is also free and includes education for school dropouts, those who have many gap years in their academic journey, or those who may not return to school but still need basic knowledge in languages and math. These students are given the entire curriculum of each grade in one semester, so they go through every two grades in one year’s time. This unique kind of education is given in government schools or other rented school buildings, and it has garnered positive public interest because it covers the needs of students whose education may have been interrupted due to war or displacement. According to official statistics, the number of beneficiaries of this system has reached approximately 200 thousand students.
The coordination and standardization of teaching and learning materials in Syria is one of the main challenges nationwide. The prevailing political division has led to the adoption of three distinct curricula in Syria, each aligning either partially or entirely with the authorities in control of the respective regions.
In addition to all the above, there is also private education for pre-university levels. Private schools are distributed in various cities and provide disparate quality of education. However, most Syrians cannot afford these high-cost schools, with the exception of the very few educational institutions established by social or religious communities.
Children born in the first year of the war are 12 years old today. They have most likely stopped receiving regular lessons at some point throughout those years in various Syrian regions as a result of the violent clashes, their aftermath, the Covid-19 pandemic, or the 2022 earthquake. Their loss of education puts them on the long list of Syrian generations whose lives have been struck by war, the prolonged crisis, and the apparent lack of a comprehensive solution on the horizon.
Initially, there was a noticeable surplus in the number of public schools in Syria, accommodating new students at rates approaching international standards of 20 students per classroom. In 2010, there were approximately 22,200 public schools, covering all the regions in the country. However, according to statements from the Ministry of Education, this number has significantly dropped to 14,505 schools in 2023, despite the growing student population, which now stands at around 4 million students across Syria. This represents a great loss of 7 thousand schools. The former Minister of Education estimated that approximately 10 thousand schools have been damaged in the war, of which 5 thousand are completely destroyed.
The decline in the number of schools can be attributed to various factors, including attacks on schools that were a common event during the years of conflict. Additionally, the conditions of displacement led to hundreds of schools being repurposed as shelter centers over the past years. Other educational facilities were transformed into military barracks and headquarters for managing military operations, particularly in areas near military clashes, while the displacement of both students and teachers continued.
These conditions were further compounded by a severe shortage in the number of teachers. Despite an initial surplus, the number of teachers experienced a significant decline, reaching approximately 300 thousand teachers by the year 2022. This decline, particularly visible in the eastern regions of Syria and Idlib, resulted in the loss of at least 100 thousand teachers. The reasons behind this decline are largely linked to the security reality in the country, where many teachers were often summoned for military service. Meanwhile, dire economic circumstances have prompted numerous educators to abandon the field in pursuit of alternative professions that could better support them and their families, as their salaries were slashed while the inflation eroded most of their savings. Additionally, a number of teachers chose to leave the country in search of a safer and more stable life abroad.
According to international statistics, there are 2.4 million children out of school, a million of whom live in opposition-held areas. A much larger number of students are at risk of dropping out, especially students in the areas of the ongoing clashes and the areas that were struck by the February 2022 earthquake in four governorates, namely Latakia, Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama.
Initially, there was a noticeable surplus in the number of public schools in Syria. In 2010, there were approximately 22,200 public schools nationwide. However, this number has significantly dropped to 14,505 schools in 2023. It is estimated that approximately 10 thousand schools have been damaged in the war, of which 5 thousand are completely destroyed.
Consequently, Syria has been excluded from the majority of global education quality indices, including Davos’ World Economic Forum’s Index for the Global Index of Educational Quality in 2022. In response to Syria's omission, the Ministry of Education asserted that the World Economic Forum, which formulates its classification based on 12 standards for participating countries, has not invited Syria to participate, citing “political reasons”. The ministry's statement emphasized that the standards utilized by the Forum are unrelated to academic accreditation.
The case of refugee students
A decade into the conflict, the number of children who left the country or were born outside the country amounted to approximately 1.25 million school-age children. Alarmingly, half of them have abandoned basic education or find themselves entirely excluded from academic life. The educational future of this demographic remains uncertain in every possible scenario, depending on the complex issues faced by refugees and their potential return to the homeland—a prospect that currently appears remote. Effectively addressing this dilemma demands a collaborative effort between host countries and the donors.
While some Syrian children reside in various refugee camps abroad, the majority live inside local communities. This amplifies their challenges, exacerbating economic and social pressures on both the children and their families, triggering tensions between the refugee population and the host communities. These difficulties add to a range of political constraints prevalent across host countries, impacting crucial elements of education such as curricula, certification, and the availability of teachers. This leads to severely hindering Syrian children's access to serious education of acceptable quality, which often steers them towards the job market and its many problems.
The woes of privatization
The war was not the only cause of the collapse of the public education system in Syria, as it was preceded, since the beginning of the century, by strategic government trends which opted for less engagement in the State’s duties towards the education sector, and towards others sectors as well, in what could be dubbed a formalistic “liberalization of education”. This trend was clear in the government’s decision to decrease public spending from 12% to 7% of the State’s budget between 1970 and 2010. This was done on several levels, including the introduction of the private sector into education more than half a century after the nationalization of the last private schools in the country, most of which were missionary schools. The latters played a role in national enlightenment, bringing together students from all social groups and religious sects.
Despite an initial surplus, the number of teachers experienced a significant decline, reaching approximately 300 thousand teachers by the year 2022. This decline, particularly visible in the eastern regions of Syria and Idlib, resulted in the loss of at least 100 thousand teachers. The reasons are largely linked to the security reality in the country, their summoning to military service, and dire economic circumstances.
The transformations within the university sector were a precursor to changes in the lower educational sectors. Governmental justifications for this step included the need for “a series of educational reforms” and the “introduction of specialization degrees that were not available in public university education to meet the demands of the labor market”. These were cited as the primary conditions for opening private university colleges; however, almost all government universities feature a range of specializations which are often comparable to those in public universities. In practice, these private universities evolved into a new investment sector for the emerging affluent classes. Notably, the faculties of private universities consisted of former public teachers who were attracted by better salaries and, as a result, sought employment in these private institutions.
The Qalamoun Private University was founded as the first private university in Syria in 2003, followed to date by 24 private universities, most of which were founded in the beginnings of the 2000s. The universities in Damascus are owned by former Baathist prime ministers and businessmen, while universities outside of the capital are mostly founded by de facto powers, and those have uncontrollably increased in recent years.
Most of these universities were hastily built or were rented from institutions or in buildings that were seized during the war. They do not differ much in their structures, study schedules, and laboratories from public institutions, and some even offer lower educational quality. In terms of building knowledge, teaching sciences, and instilling moral formation, these universities offer less than what is usually offered by public universities because of the weak application of international education quality standards, contrary to the statements of its presidents. They usually grant a significant percentage of their scholarships to students who show academic excellence in order to attract them. Many of these outstanding students stand out in various fields, surpassing students of the bourgeois class, while the success of other students is facilitated through legitimate or convoluted methods. The high rates of success prompt more students to enroll in these universities, where standards are looser, because applying strict standards would push students away to other universities.
Private universities became the new investment sector for the emerging affluent classes. The Qalamoun Private University was founded as the first private university in Syria in 2003, followed to date by 24 private universities. The universities in Damascus are owned by former Baathist prime ministers and businessmen, while universities outside of the capital are mostly founded by de facto powers.
In cities like Latakia, the majority of high school students prefer to attend lessons at private institutes rather than their public schools. School principals are bribed to overlook students' attendance. The phenomenon of private lessons is less prevalent in the countryside, but it is not entirely absent.
In higher education, the number of colleges surged from 63 in 2005 to 124 in 2010, the year of onset of the crisis. This number remained relatively stable thereafter. Throughout the years of the crisis, the student population in higher education experienced a notable spike, with a 27% increase from 532,221 in 2011 to 675,632 in 2016. Intriguingly, this expansion occurred despite a decline in the number of private education students during the same period, dropping from 26,989 to 23,169. Subsequently, in the years leading up to the present, the percentage of private education students has not surpassed 30 thousand. Contributing factors to this increase include the enrollment of open education students and a surge in registrations at various universities driven by the desire to secure any document that can help them evade compulsory military service.
The privatization of education extended to secondary school and lower grades, all the way to kindergarten, all of which widened the gap between the general population of Syrian society and a segment of those who are financially able to prepare their children either to travel outside the country or join a labor market that can only accommodate a very small number of graduates, due to the general circumstances in Syria.
Withdrawal from studying and teaching
These general circumstances have forced a segment of the youth to forego their education. Instead, they decide, with their parents’ encouragement, to prematurely enter the job market which offers them none of the necessary safety nets and protective measures. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in the inhabitants of marginalized neighborhoods and slums across Syrian cities and rural areas, with varying extent according to the environments they live in. The phenomenon intensifies especially in the regions where military conflicts still rage.
Free public education has successfully brought millions of women into education, empowering them to gain experiences and skills that have reshaped the dynamics of a patriarchal labor market, challenging traditional gender norms even in the most conservative communities. However, recent developments threaten to reverse these gains. The expanding influence of private education and its high costs have resulted in the increased withdrawal of women from these spaces. The stereotype of “women belong at home” has resurged, undermining not only women’s educational progress but also their broader social and economic achievements. Notably, these setbacks are most pronounced in areas controlled by opposition forces, such as Idlib and Aleppo’s countryside, where societal and familial structures help in maintaining control and guardianship over women.
A comprehensive study covering western Syria revealed that over half of women surveyed expressed a lack of interest in pursuing basic education. The primary barriers identified were financial constraints, transportation difficulties, and the absence of viable means and roads for commuting. These obstacles were cited by 54% of respondents. Most respondents also agreed that their decision is affected by social norms, family opinions, along with the fact that there are little employment opportunities out there for educated women – all being significant factors hindering the continuation of their education.
Private tutoring sweeps Syria
The decreased quality of public education and high costs of private education have prompted significant portions of society to seek alternative, practical solutions to meet the demand for quality education which provides better chances for the labor market or for emigration requirements. Consequently, private educational institutes and individualized tutoring sessions conducted in homes and cafes have been on the rise. Despite attempts by the Ministry of Education in Damascus to curb this trend—issuing circulars prohibiting private lessons in homes and dispatching patrols to monitor such activities—these efforts have proven ineffective. The phenomenon persists and has even gained traction in areas beyond the ministry's administrative reach.
A comprehensive study covering western Syria revealed that over half of women surveyed expressed a lack of interest in pursuing basic education. The primary barriers identified were financial constraints, transportation difficulties, and the absence of viable means of commuting.
With the Ukraine war and the escalation of armed disputes worldwide, the international focus on Syria has waned. This shift is clear in the reduction of proposed funding from the Countries Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region during their latest conference in Brussels in June 2023. This diminishing support poses a significant hurdle to the implementation of emergency education services crucial for 6.1 million children across Syria.
This trend has added to the strains and losses of the education sector, prompting educators to abandon their regular teaching duties, neglecting the needs of the most vulnerable students in a way that has widened the gap in educational opportunities based on class and economic disparities. In cities like Latakia, for example, the majority of high school students prefer to attend lessons at private institutes rather than their public schools. School principals are bribed to overlook students' attendance at school. Meanwhile, the phenomenon of private lessons is less prevalent in the countryside, but it is not entirely absent.
The financial burden associated with private lessons varies significantly, depending on the expertise and reputation of the instructors. Costs for a high school student under the guidance of a non-specialized tutor can range from 3 to 4 million Syrian pounds for the entire academic year. However, with specialized and well-known tutors, costs escalate to 7 to 8 million Syrian pounds, and in certain areas, may even reach 10 million Syrian pounds (equivalent to $800). This is a huge sum compared to the average monthly salary of most Syrians, which averages around $20 in both public and private sectors.
The phenomenon of private tutoring is not exclusive to students preparing for official exams; it has also become prevalent among primary school students and is exacerbated by the overcrowded conditions in primary schools, where classrooms exceed their intended capacity by multiple times. In many of these classes, four students share a single desk, not to mention the problems that the large number of students in a classroom can cause for the effective management of the classroom.
The general challenges of Syria’s educational sector
With the Ukraine war and the escalation of armed disputes in new global hotspots like Yemen and Afghanistan, the international focus on Syria has waned. This shift is clear in the reduction of proposed funding from the Countries Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, during their latest conference in Brussels in June 2023, amid heightened competition for global aid. This diminishing support poses a significant hurdle to the implementation of emergency education services crucial for 6.1 million children across Syria.
The enduring impact of compounded unrests of over a decade of war in Syria on the Syrian educational system has given rise to an all-encompassing, complex network of problems and challenges which need a long period of time and enormous efforts to solve. These efforts involve not only stakeholders within the sector but also politicians, economists, social scientists, and others in next republic – if the country can continue as one instead of accepting and solidifying the current state of independent geographical entities as final.
One of the expected long-term consequences of the devastation of the Syrian educational system is the diminishment of human capital and a subsequent decline in economic productivity. The logical outcome of a reduced level and quality of education is the emergence of generations with distorted relationships with society, the state, and fellow citizens. While the long-term impacts are concerning, the short-term effects are also immediately devastating. The disruption of access to schools is foreseen to result in a sharp increase in child labor and early marriages for girls, not to mention feared surge in harassment, rape, and other issues related to security and protection. This collapse of the education system not only exacerbates existing problems but also presents significant obstacles to the country's efforts to restore its unity, intensifying challenges for future generations, who may find themselves with very few options and choose to leave their country.
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Translated from Arabic by Sabah Jalloul
Published in Assafir Al-Arabi on 15/12/2023
