Efforts to deal with the exam crisis; obtain students' rights

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Education Authority issued a public notice regarding the basic education and secondary school certificate examination procedure in all branches. The notice read:

"The educational sector has been harmed for over a decade by the impact of the Syrian crisis, which has adversely affected the educational process, left psychological and social aftermaths on the students and their parents, and generated fear regarding the uncertain future."

After the freedom of Syria from Ba'ath regime rule on December 8, 2024, and after the implementation of the agreement between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces commander General Mazloum Abdi, there was a new opportunity for the reform of the learning process. Included in the agenda of this phase was to settle the process of the basic education and secondary school diplomas examination at all branches. The North and East Syria Education Authority is keen to protect our dear students' future and maintain their efforts throughout the whole school year, and in accordance with as part of our moral and humanitarian responsibility, I reached out to UNICEF to negotiate with the Syrian Ministry of Education regarding the examination process. After online meetings and discussions, there was a physical meeting in Damascus on 13th and 14th  April 2025 between the Ministry delegation and the Education Authority delegation. Major concerns were resolved, including:

- Simplifying registration procedures and granting an elongated deadline to accommodate all students taking the Damascus curriculum.

- Permitting students to sit for exams in their locations without the hassle of travel.

- Creating a temporary joint committee to monitor the examination process according to the Damascus curriculum in North and East Syria.

- Continuing the education process for students according to the Autonomous Administration curriculum for the academic year 2024-2025 as in previous years.

This session offered hope to the parents and pupils, and the Education Authority was also flexible and steadfast not to leave the process until a just agreement was established. When preparing the joint document under UNICEF oversight, the Authority stated itself willing to implement immediately. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education forwarded the agreement to senior political powers for approval.

But even with the close deadline and the looming exam date, no official statement has been made by the Ministry of Education as yet.

Therefore, we are informing the public that the North and East Syria Education Authority has made every effort in order to succeed in the exam process. We therefore urge the Ministry of Education to act on the terms of the agreement as soon as possible and take action to retrieve the exam process and protect the rights of the students.

T/S

ANHA