Syrian curriculum changes spark debate over removal of images and historical figures

A wave of criticism has erupted across social media following the publication of revised Syrian school textbooks for the current academic year. The updates, affecting material for several grades, include extensive alterations to images, illustrations, and historical narratives.

The changes extend beyond text to visual content, with committees reportedly using Photoshop to modify drawings. Critics point to examples such as the removal of the world-famous 'Mona Lisa' and a drawing of a girl skipping rope, as well as the addition of hijabs to female characters.

The revisions have reopened a broader debate about the Ministry of Education's standards and its approach to Syria's social and cultural diversity. Questions are being raised about whether the amendments are a routine review of content from the former regime or a deliberate effort to reshape societal representation.

Visual alterations and historical edits

Comparisons between old and new editions reveal a pattern of both deletion and modification. Statues and sculptures have been covered, while entire pictures of women and children have been removed from textbooks for early age groups.

The alterations have not been limited to general illustrations. The sixth-grade 'Social Studies' book, originally from the 2012–2013 school year, has been reissued with lessons on local administration, political life, and democratic participation removed.

Historical figures and symbols have also been affected. The Phoenician princess Elissar, founder of Carthage, has been depicted in a modified portrait that covers her chin and neck. A pharaonic statue has been altered to wear a striped shirt, which many users likened to prison uniforms.

Critics have highlighted what they describe as 'a blatant falsification of history' in the updated curriculum. Passages now portray the 'martyrs' executed on 6 May by the Ottoman governor Jamal Pasha as 'agents of Britain and France', rather than symbols of the national movement.

Further changes include the deletion of a photograph of the late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and the replacement of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash with Sheikh Saleh al-Ali. Maps have also been revised, omitting the district of Iskenderun and the occupied Syrian Golan.

Parental concerns and accusations of ideological imposition

Parents have expressed strong objections to the changes, arguing that they go beyond aesthetic concerns and risk imposing a specific ideology on children. Alia, the mother of a lower-secondary pupil, noted that the poor print quality made the amendments difficult to notice at first.

Alia argued that adding a hijab to images of historical figures raises questions about the purpose of such a step. She warned that imposing a single pattern in depicting women could shape how social diversity is presented to children, instead of promoting values of harmony.

Jaber, the father of a primary-school girl, expressed even stronger concerns. He argued that the visual changes cannot be separated from ideological orientations that risk being entrenched in society's consciousness through the education system.

Observers have accused the ministry of seeking to impose a specific ideology through the education system. They fear that in a country marked by religious, cultural, and social diversity, such changes could entrench a one-sided view of society and sideline its historical pluralism.

Inconsistencies and the ministry's response

The nature of the changes has also led to accusations of artistic inconsistency. A female doctor character in first-grade books appears wearing a hijab on one page and without one on another, raising questions about the criteria used to decide which images should be kept, modified, or removed.

The Syrian Ministry of Education has stated that the curricula respect diversity and do not adopt a single line. However, critics and observers argue that to reach an objective assessment of the accusations, it is essential to see the official standards adopted and define the real scope of the changes.

The debate centers on the distinction between removing content linked to the former regime and altering artistic illustrations or deleting educational topics on citizenship and democratic participation. While some see purging the curricula of the previous era's legacy as part of a normal modernisation process, the other changes raise questions about the educational and cultural foundations that govern content selection.