The formal school pathway in Syria consists of preschool, basic education and secondary education. Preschool, locally called رياض الأطفال, is regulated but not compulsory. Basic education covers grades 1 to 9: الحلقة الأولى covers grades 1 to 6, and الحلقة الثانية or preparatory education covers grades 7 to 9. Secondary education covers grades 10 to 12 and includes general scientific and literary branches, vocational education, and شرعية secondary education. Syria has no direct one-to-one equivalent of the German Gymnasium or Realschule; the relevant comparison is between general, vocational and other locally recognized secondary pathways. The Ministry of Education, وزارة التربية والتعليم, sets the national curriculum, annual teaching plans, textbooks, examination dates and standards for teaching staff. The National Centre for Curriculum Development works on curriculum development. Teaching is generally in Arabic, with English and French offered as subjects. Core subjects include Arabic, English, French, mathematics and science. The Damascus curriculum used in 2025/26 is planned for nationwide use in 2026/27. Kurdish is planned as an optional subject of two lessons per week in public and private schools in areas with a significant Kurdish population; its mark does not count toward passing or failing. Private schools generally follow the official curriculum, although tuition, transport and local provision differ. Admission normally takes place through a school or the relevant Directorate of Education. Common documents include a birth or civil record, a family booklet or individual civil-status record, the guardian's identity document, photographs and a health card. A certified transcript is normally needed after schooling abroad. The school committee reviews records; if documents are missing, the school may use a placement test. Conditional admission can last up to two months and may be extended once. Returning families may receive placement close to their residence, but Syria has no reliably documented nationwide catchment-area system. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles certification of foreign school records, while School Health Directorates handle health documentation. The school year follows a unified national calendar; the 2026/27 school year is scheduled to start on 6 September 2026. Attendance remains uneven in practice because of insecurity, displacement, transport costs, household income, teacher and school shortages, child labour and early marriage. About 2.45 million children are reported to be completely out of school, more than one million face a risk of dropping out, and about 8,000 schools are non-functional. In 2026/27, more than 5.2 million pupils are expected to attend, while capacity pressure has led to new schools and double-shift arrangements. Schools use ongoing school and semester assessments. After grade 9, pupils can take the national Basic Education Certificate examination, which supports access to and placement in general or vocational secondary education. After grade 12, general secondary pupils take the national General Secondary Certificate examination in the scientific or literary branch. Vocational pupils take national theoretical and practical examinations for the Vocational Secondary Certificate. Sharia certificates follow a separate pathway. Free-candidate, placement and qualifying examinations provide additional routes in some situations, including documented transitional arrangements for grade 9 and grade 12 examinations in eastern regions during 2025/26 and 2026/27. Public schools do not charge registration fees, except for the student card and related stamps. The equivalency of a Basic Education Certificate is free. General secondary certificate equivalency costs 25,000 SYP for Syrian students, with a possible additional 50,000 SYP complementary examination fee, and 150 USD for non-Syrian students. Private tuition and transport costs have no single nationwide tariff. There is no documented nationwide entitlement to school meals or school transport. Support measures include school rehabilitation, prefabricated classrooms, desks, textbooks, water and sanitation facilities, solar power, psychosocial support, teacher training and back-to-learning programmes. Non-formal education, self-learning, remedial classes, digital learning and early-childhood services can help children enter, return to or continue school, but they do not all replace the formal school pathway. Public schools may integrate pupils with less severe disabilities; severe cases are referred to the Ministry of Social Affairs. UNICEF, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations provide support services but do not replace the Ministry's school supervision. A secondary certificate is the normal school completion award; higher education is a possible subsequent pathway, while a vocational certificate does not automatically grant a professional license.
School in Syria
School education in Syria generally runs from preschool through six years of primary education, three years of preparatory education and three years of secondary education. Primary education begins at about age six, and attendance is compulsory from grades 1 to 9 under Law No. 7/2012, although conflict, displacement, transport costs and limited capacity affect access. Public education is legally free apart from school cards and related stamps, while private schools charge tuition and may charge separately for transport.
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