By Samer Yassin
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – In Northeast Syria, there is growing concern among people regarding the educational system followed by the Education Board affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Additionally, they are curious about the future of students who graduate from the universities within the region.
Some residents believe that the educational process is somewhat good, despite the new curricula and the shortage of qualified teachers. However, others believe that it is insufficient because the teaching staff is not well trained and need assessment.
There are over 860,000 students in about 4,200 schools that follow the AANES’s curriculum, which isn’t recognized by the Syrian government.
Regarding the education level in the AANES-held areas, the co-chair of the Education Board in Hasakah governorate, northeast Syria, said that the educational process “is not at the desired level” due to the challenging circumstances that the region is currently going through.
He told North Press that the reasons are primarily attributed to the impact of war, destruction, displacement, migration, and frequent shelling, which has led to the closure of a significant numbers of schools.
“All these factors negatively affect the quality of education in our region,” he stressed.
Since its inception, the Education Board has been striving to provide a somewhat acceptable educational level for the region’s children. This includes opening schools, appointing qualified teachers, ensuring the availability of textbooks, renovating damaged schools, and providing educational resources, according to the official.
Farhan noted that teachers are still undergoing specialized training during summer vacations. Additionally, there are field courses for teachers in specific subjects and dedicated programs for evaluating both teachers and students.
Photo 2: The building of Rojava University in Qamishli, northeast Syria – North Press
There are four specialized academies dedicated to teacher preparation affiliated with the Education Board in Hasakah.
Teachers who have weaknesses in the teaching or educational process are sent to these academies to improve their skills and increase their efficiency in delivering curriculum information to students, according to the co-chair.
Some students were dissatisfied with the presence of errors in the curricula of the AANES. Several editions of textbooks have been identified to contain mistakes in page numbers and information formatting within the books.
The co-chair further explained that the department responsible for curriculum development and improvement is actively working to enhance and develop the curricula or rectify the existing errors.
With the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, there will be new editions of textbooks that incorporate amendments contributing to the improvement of student performance and benefiting the region’s children, according to the co-chair.
He also referred to the significant challenges concerning educational resources, particularly in relation to the Kurdish language. While there are available references, books, and materials for Arabic and English, while there is a shortage of educational resources for the Kurdish language, as its teaching is relatively new in the region and globally.
The official disclosed that the Education Board has allocated a dedicated project in the budget for the ongoing academic year 2023-2024. This project aims to secure essential educational resources specifically for the primary stage, with a focus on the Kurdish language.
Regarding the official recognition of the curriculum taught by the AANES, Farhan explained that the Education Board is actively reaching out to various regional and international bodies in an effort to collaborate and obtain recognition for the AANES curriculum.
However, it is unfortunate that the support received thus far has been insufficient and does not meet the desired standards, he said.
The official further added, “We are making efforts to enhance our current relationships with certain European universities. Unfortunately, there is currently no official protocol communication between the Education Board of AANES and any official educational body in other countries. Nonetheless, we receive great support from several countries.”
In response to a question about the educational level of the students, Engineer Farhan Hassan, the Deputy Co-chair of Rojava University, told North Press that the academic performance of Rojava University students is highly commendable, as they compete with universities in both Syria and the Middle East.
“However, the educational process is not at the international level as the university is new, and we need international recognition of its curricula,” he stressed.
Hassan further added, “There is a considerable number of professors, master’s degree holders, and graduates serving as the teaching staff at the university, and we have plans to enhance their development by providing opportunities for graduates to pursue higher studies within the university.”
Regarding the future of university graduates and their ability and competence to work in society, Farhan emphasized, “The future of university graduates is promising, and there are job opportunities available in the AANES’s institutions.”
Hassan clarified that they face significant difficulties due to Turkish airstrikes in the region, which have impacted the practical aspects, such as field visits to laboratories, factories, and power generation facilities, specifically the Sweidiya facility.
“The students engage in regular visits to the facility, particularly students of petrochemical engineering. However, due to the ongoing Turkish bombardment, we have been compelled to reduce such visits, resulting in a decrease in the students’ scientific capabilities,” he explained.
He highlighted the existing coordination between the AANES’s universities and international universities, “There is active coordination with several international universities, and we have agreements with various American, German, and Italian universities.”
Fe explained that at the local level, there is strong coordination among the three universities (Rojava, al-Sharq, and Kobani).
Hassan further added, “There are plans, discussions, and agreements in place to send study missions from our university students to European and American universities.”