Loading ...Removal of Nationalist Education from Syrian Schools
By: Jack Moran / Arab America Contributing Writer
Following the fleeing of Bashar al-Assad from Syria, nationalist ideals and teachings have slowly left school curricula within Syria. Syria’s “new government”, a group of Islamist led authorities, have vowed to remove all Assad teachings from Syrian schools and replace them with traditional Islamic teachings.
In a Facebook post, the new Syrian government promised swift change to schools, these changes come with a heavy Islamic slant. Along with curriculum changes, the new government has dropped any reference to the Assad era among all subjects.
Aside from the exclusion of anything related to the Assad Era, the new government also banned the teaching of Evolution and the Big Bang Theory.
Religious teachings seem to be the main omission in the new curriculum, the incoming government has also dropped the teaching of any Gods worshiped in Syria before Islam.
In addition to religious teachings, the government has essentially dropped all things related to Assad, including poems written by his father, Hafez. In a statement by the new director of education, Nazir al-Qadri, he said the only instructions he issued were to remove content that he described as glorifying the “defunct Assad regime” and the instatement of the Syrian revolutionary flag in all textbooks. He also noted that all “mistakes” in the prior Islamic curriculum had been corrected.
Many Syrians are welcoming the new changes, however calls for protests have been made by activist groups. They fear that their voices will be overlooked under the new leadership.
The Syrian school term started last week and protests have been growing daily. Activist groups have made it clear that whatever changes the new Syrian government makes to school curriculum will be met with harsh criticism.
Check out our blog here!
