Syria’s New Leaders Rewrite School Curriculum - Public Outcry Grows

Syria’s transitional, Islamist-led government has triggered widespread concern after publishing revised school curricula that introduce a stronger religious focus and remove references to the Assad era. The changes, released on the education ministry’s official social media pages, affect all age groups and subjects.

Among the revisions are symbolic language changes, such as replacing phrases related to national defence with religious references, as well as the removal of evolution and the Big Bang theory from science lessons. Content linked to Syria’s pre-Islamic history and historical figures like Queen Zenobia has reportedly been reduced, while material praising former president Bashar al-Assad and his father has been eliminated entirely.

Education Minister Nazir al-Qadri sought to calm criticism, stating that the curriculum remains largely unchanged and that only content glorifying the former regime or containing inaccuracies had been removed. He added that specialised committees would later review the material in detail.

While some Syrians have welcomed the changes, civil society activists and returning exiles fear the decisions were made without broader public consultation. Calls for protests have emerged ahead of the new school term, with critics arguing that unilateral reforms undermine promises of inclusivity and national dialogue made by the new authorities.