Overview of Syrian Education System

Ghada Aldasooqi , Senior Advisor NOKUT Education landscape before the crisis

• had extensive education system

• Among the highest literacy rate in the MENA region over 93%.

• Centralized education system

• Ministry of Higher Education Statisticshttp://mohe.gov.sy/mohe/index.php?node =555&cat=4677&

| 2 29.01.2019 • About 62% of Syrian students studying abroad were in Europe.

• There was not gender gap in higher education

• however! current situation in some universities the number of female students exceeds male students.

| 3 29.01.2019 Status of current Education System

• Enrollment rate has significantly fallen from 95 % prior to 2011 to 50% currently!

• The main provider of education: • Ministry of Education • The NGO sector • The UN agencies

• Almost have a million students sat for national ninth and twelfth grade exams Ministry of Education

| 4 29.01.2019 • One out of five schools is unfit for use: o damaged o totally destroyed o being used as shelters

• Some areas are more affected in terms of education: Idlib, Raqqa, Deir –Ezzor, Hama, Darra.

| 5 29.01.2019 Overview of Education prior to the crisis

| 6 29.01.2019 Map of Syrian Conflict

http://syria.liveuamap.com/ | 7 29.01.2019 The Syrian Civil War

• The largest public institutions are located in regime-held areas (marked in red) on this map.

• Public universities have smaller secondary campuses located in smaller towns and cities, some of which have had to close

• Some private institutions have been forced to close down or move.

Map Source: www.almasdarnews.com/article/complete -battle-map-of-syria-mid-october-update/

| 8 29.01.2019 Map of Higher Education: State universities

| 10 29.01.2019 Map of Higher Education: Private Universities

| 11 29.01.2019 • The Ministry of Higher Education has taken measures to assist students affected by the conflict

• Students may transfer to institutions in more stable areas o Substantial movement of students and surge in enrolment at , Baath, Tishreen • Furat University set up Representative Offices on other campuses. o Furat students could graduate with a Furat University Degree, although the Degree was awarded at another location in Syria.

• Ministry of Higher Education prioritizes National Standardized Examinations to promote quality o Implemented in fields such as Medicine. Pharamacy, odontology. Ambitions to cover all fields o Statistics and benchmarking published online. o Recently suggested requirement: Students will have to pass the National

| 13 29.01.2019 Unified Exam in order to obtain a degree. Primary and Secondary Education

Until 2002

• 6 years of primary + 3 years of preparatory/intermediate + 3 years of upper secondary, generally resulting in the General شهادة الدراسة الثانوية العامة (. ) Secondary Education Certificate

Since 2002 years of- 9 /شهادة الدراسة للتعليم األساسي Basic Education Certificate basic education شهادة الدراسة الثانوية ) General Secondary Education Certificate years of secondary education divided into one year ofالعامة ( - 3 common core education followed by two years of academic track education:

 Literary  Scientific

| 14 29.01.2019 • The general secondary education program leads to Al- Shahada al-Thânawiyya al-Amma or Baccalauréat.

• General Secondary Certificate has 2 sections: Literary & Scientific

• literary section access to liberal arts/humanities

• Scientific section access to all fields of studies

| 15 29.01.2019 • About 60% of students take GSC while 40% take Technical Secondary School Education».

• Admission is regulated by MOHE/ Higher Education Council.

• Admission characters/requirement are modified every year.

• The admission process is called Mofaddla and the results are published on the webpage of MOHE.

| 16 29.01.2019 Sample: Certified copy of General Secondary Education Certificate

| 17 29.01.2019 Sample: General Secondary Education Certificate

| 18 29.01.2019 Sample: Certified copy of General Secondary Education Certificate

Ministry of Education

General Secondary Education

Scientific section

| 19 29.01.2019 Registration No. Exam results for the General Secondary Education Certificate

General Secondary Education Certificate Scientific Section

by an Education is normally issued in by an Education Directorate in the relevant county under the Ministry of | 20 29.01.2019 | 21 29.01.2019 Secondary Education Exam Results Online

Registration No. Stated in the SSC. Certiftcate.

(Exam Results النتائج االمتحانات ) http://moed.gov.sy/site/ look for

| 22 29.01.2019 Post-Secondary Institutions/TVET Education: «Associate مساعد مجاز «Degree

• 1970, to provide high-quality mid-level technical trained cadres to function as assistants to university trained professionals such as engineers, dentists etc.

• Under the overall supervision of the Higher Council المجلس االعلى للمعاهدالمتوسطة / of Intermediate Institutes

| 23 29.01.2019 TVET con.ted

 Ministry of Higher Education administers twenty- seven intermediate institutes affiliated with Syria's four national universities

sixty-seven institutes are administered by various other ministries and government agencies.

 Ministry of Education administers sixty-six higher institutes in the areas of teacher training, physical education, industry, commercial banking, and women’s crafts.

| 24 29.01.2019 TVET con.ted

• Admission: successful completion of secondary education & achievement of the required cut-off score on the baccalaureate examination in the relevant secondary track.

• Duration 2 years: theoretical courses (up to 25% of the curriculum), technical courses and labs (20– 30% of the curriculum), and applied or practical subjects (50–60% of the curriculum).

| 25 29.01.2019 TVET con.ted

• Students must perform one month of practical training after each school year.

شهادة Typically, the qualification is awarded as • .Technical Diploma Certificate دبلوم تقني

• Mainly for employment, some take further studies at university level at certain conditions.

| 26 29.01.2019 Sample: Technical Diploma

| 27 29.01.2019 Transcript of Records Technical Diploma

| 28 29.01.2019 | 29 29.01.2019 Higher Education System in Syria

• Supervision of Ministry of Higher Education • http://www.mohe.gov.sy/mohe/index.php

• 8 state universities.

• 22 private universities.

• Higher Institutes: 4 under the auspicious of MOHE and others are affiliated to the universities, Specialized institutes offering specialized studies, usually master’s and PhD degrees .

| 30 29.01.2019 | 31 29.01.2019 Ministry of Higher Education

• http://www.mohe.gov.sy/mohe/index.php?node=55 10&cat=1829&

| 32 29.01.2019 Higher Education Qualifications

First cycle:

Diploma/License) - often translated asاجازة ) Ijazah • Bachelor

4 years in arts, business and 5 years in most engineering fields and some professional areas (e.g. dentistry) 6 years in medicine

| 33 29.01.2019 Post-graduate level year 1دبلوم عالي Higher Diploma •

• Master Degrees: years 2ماجستير Majesteer 3- 2 ماجستير تخصصي Majesteer Takhasosy years/ spescialized Master

minimum 2 - Maximum 4 :الدكتوراه / Phd Degrees • years

| 34 29.01.2019 Ijazah in Sciences,

| 35 29.01.2019 Graduation Certificate /Mossadakka

| 36 29.01.2019 Graduation Certificate /Mossadakka

| 37 29.01.2019 Ijazah in Medicine Aleppo University

| 38 29.01.2019 Ijazah in Medicine Kalamoon University

| 39 29.01.2019 | 40 29.01.2019 This version Example: Transcript of Records from has no This University Baath University version logo has logo

Grades covered with tape to prevent tampering

| 41 29.01.2019 | 42 29.01.2019 Documentation Standards

• No point/ credit system, however: private universities started using credit hours system.

• Academic year is divided in Fall and Spring semesters; 35 weeks.

• grades: lowest 50 highest 100!

• Usually 13± subjects taken at academic year

| 43 29.01.2019 Documentation Standards

• Documents are issued in Arabic (Private institutions developed bilingual (Arabic/English) formats).

• Grades may be listed in either Arabic or Western numerals

• Documents are legalized by the issuing authority

• legalization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Syrian educational documents have few or no security features.

| 44 29.01.2019 Verification

• Contact via international office at the university

• Scanned documents sending emails

• Average time to receive an answer is 4 weeks+

| 45 29.01.2019 Online verification

• Most Syrian institutions have contact details available online: o Damascus University o http://damascusuniversity.edu.sy/ce/ird/academic-verification

o Baath University o http://department.albaath-univ.edu.sy/Cultural/

o o http://tishreen.edu.sy/contact-us

| 46 29.01.2019 Verification

o Syrian Virtual University o https://www.svuonline.org/SVUIS/pages.php?id=6

o Use www.web.archive.org to browse older versions of web pages (works even if the current version of the web site is down!)

| 47 29.01.2019 • Direct web search: Finding published exam results, lists of graduates, members of professional organizations etc. o Requires understanding in Arabic o Example: List of graduates with Bachelor degrees from the Faculty of Law, Damascus University, 2015: http://damascusuniversity.edu.sy/faculties/law/images/stories/news/rerf12015. pdf

• It is often easier to find postgraduate students and their research than undergraduates. o Example: Annual Report on Research from Damascus University, 2009: http://www.damascusuniversity.edu.sy/ce/srd/images/stories/news/rep ort2009.pdf

| 48 29.01.2019 امتحانات كلية اآلداب والعلوم اإلنسانية

| 49 29.01.2019 Thank you for your attention

| 50 29.01.2019