Recent comparisons of Syrian school textbooks have drawn sharp attention after observers documented the removal of cultural imagery, the disappearance of lessons on citizenship and democratic participation, and significant changes to illustrations of women and children.
What changed in the textbooks
Analysts and fact‑checking platforms reviewed side‑by‑side images of earlier and updated editions and identified a number of recurring revisions. Among the examples highlighted are:
- the removal of an image of Ornina, an ancient Bethnahrinian singer, from a third‑grade social studies text;
- the deletion of the Mona Lisa from a seventh‑grade history book;
- the covering, replacement or deletion of photographs and sculptures previously included in lessons on art and culture;
- alterations to illustrations of women and children — including women who had previously been shown without head coverings now depicted wearing the hijab, and other figures redrawn to wear more conservative dress such as the jilbab.
In addition to imagery, fact‑checking teams reported that lessons addressing citizenship and democratic participation appear to have been removed or substantially changed in new editions circulated under the country’s new authorities.
“Only one round of curriculum amendments had been conducted since the fall of Bashar al‑Assad’s government in December 2024,” the Ministry of Education said, describing the revisions as an effort to remove the former regime’s ideological legacy and promote national unity.
Official explanation and scrutiny
The Ministry of Education has characterised the changes as a targeted removal of the previous regime’s ideological content and a step toward promoting unity. That account, however, has not settled concerns raised by educators, parents and independent reviewers who say the documented edits extend beyond the excision of explicit political symbols.
Fact‑checking outlets verified multiple instances where illustrations, artworks and civic lessons were altered or omitted. Those verifications form the basis of growing questions about the criteria applied to the curriculum review process and whether broader religious or social standards are being used to reshape school materials.
Why the revisions matter
Textbooks are central to how young people encounter history, culture and civic life. Changes that remove lessons on democratic participation or substantially alter cultural references have implications for:
- Civic education: lessons on participation and citizenship contribute to students’ understanding of civic rights and responsibilities;
- Cultural literacy: omitting historic figures and artworks can narrow the scope of cultural knowledge presented in classrooms;
- Gender representation: altering depictions of women to reflect more conservative dress may signal shifts in social norms presented to students.
Observers say such shifts can influence the developmental environment of schoolchildren as they form attitudes about identity, history and the public sphere.
| Area | Reported change |
|---|---|
| Cultural imagery | Removal or replacement of sculptures, artworks (e.g., Ornina, Mona Lisa) |
| Civic lessons | Disappearance or alteration of lessons on citizenship and democratic participation |
| Representation of women | Illustrations altered to show more conservative dress; some newly depicted with head coverings |
Those tracking the revisions say the patterns observed to date go beyond routine editorial updates and suggest a broader reappraisal of what is acceptable in school materials. The Ministry’s position that only a single revision round has taken place and that its goal is to excise the previous government’s ideological influence has not, according to independent verifications, fully accounted for the breadth of changes now being flagged online.
As circulation of comparisons continues, the debate over the revisions highlights the contested role of school curricula in shaping post‑conflict identity and norms. For families, teachers and students, the evolving textbook content will determine which historical figures, civic concepts and social representations become part of classroom learning in the years ahead.
