QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Dozens of secondary school students (baccalaureate) and their parents in the city of Kobani, northern Syria, are calling on the Ministry of Education to relocate their final exam centers from the town of Sarrin, south of Kobani, to the city of Kobani, similar to arrangements made for preparatory school examinations.
The demands come as final exam dates approach, with students and families expressing concern over the daily travel distance to Sarrin. They say the journey adds physical strain, psychological pressure, and financial costs that could negatively affect students’ academic performance.
Demonstration in Kobani
According to students, a protest was held in front of the Kobani district administration building to convey their demand to the Education Board to conduct exams inside the city.
Baccalaureate student Siber Darwish told North Press that the protest aimed to ensure their voices are heard regarding holding exams in Kobani.
Darwish said that traveling from Kobani to Sarrin for exam sessions has negative effects on students and their families, both financially and mentally.
She added that the long distance increases hardship on students and raises transportation costs for families. Darwish also noted that authorities had previously approved relocating preparatory school exams to Kobani, arguing that a similar decision could be implemented for baccalaureate exams.
Travel hardship and financial burden
Another student, Ivana Mala Khalil, said students would not object to external supervisors if their main demand—holding exams in Kobani—is met, stressing that daily travel to Sarrin is “very exhausting.”
She added that students are ready to comply with all organizational procedures required to ensure the proper conduct of exams inside Kobani without the burden of travel.
Call for equal treatment with preparatory exams
Student Sevin Khaled Bozan also called for relocating baccalaureate exams to Kobani, similar to the recent decision regarding preparatory examinations.
Bozan said such a step would reduce travel distance and take into account the difficult financial conditions faced by many families, noting that many students already spend significant amounts on private tutoring due to the lack of formal schools teaching the government curriculum in the region.
She stressed that holding exams in Kobani would ease pressure on students and their families.
Exam stress and infrastructure readiness
Student Kamiran Youssef, a science stream student, said holding exams in Kobani would help reduce difficulties, especially the long travel distance that he believes could affect students’ concentration during exams.
Youssef added that after two years of preparation, students do not want anxiety and stress to impact their performance, emphasizing their need for stability during exams.
He also pointed to the recent decision to move preparatory exams to Kobani, expressing surprise that the same decision was not applied to the baccalaureate level. He said the city has sufficient exam centers, infrastructure, and administrative staff capable of accommodating all students.