Syria’s New Rebel Government Orders Changes to School Curriculum, Worrying Some Syrians

References to the ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his father, who ruled Syria before him, have been removed, as have images of pre-Islamic gods. The definition of a martyr has been changed, and it now means someone who has died for God, not one’s country. A Roman-era queen has been taken out of some textbooks.

Just weeks after a coalition of rebels toppled the Assad regime, the interim government they have set up in Damascus has moved quickly to order a raft of changes to the country’s school curriculum. The modifications cover subjects ranging from English and history to science and Islamic studies.

The move has been criticized by teachers and other Syrians who object not only to the nature of some of the changes but also to the fact that they were decided upon so quickly, with no transparency and no guidance from teachers and the general public.

Critics say that the changes, and the unilateral way in which they were ordered, are worrying signs of how the new Syrian government plans to govern a diverse country.

Some of the changes, which were detailed in nine pages released by the Education Ministry on social media last week, have been broadly welcomed, like removing glorification of the Assad regime from textbooks.

But some Syrians question why other changes were a priority, given the more pressing issues, like insecurity, sectarian tensions and an economic crisis, that still confront the country.