Syria

Basic Data
Official Country Name:	Syrian Arab Republic
Region:	Middle East
Population:	16,305,659
Language(s):	Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English
Literacy Rate:	70.8%
Number of Primary Schools:	10,783
Compulsory Schooling:	6 years
Public Expenditure on Education:	3.1%
Foreign Students in National Universities:	11,790
Educational Enrollment:	Primary: 2,690,205
	Secondary: 957,664
	Higher: 215,734
Educational Enrollment Rate:	Primary: 101%
	Secondary: 42%
	Higher: 16%
Teachers:	Primary: 114,689
	Secondary: 64,661
Student-Teacher Ratio:	Primary: 23:1
	Secondary: 17:1
Female Enrollment Rate:	Primary: 96%
	Secondary: 40%
	Higher: 13%

History & Background

Geography & Population: The Syrian Arab Republic, commonly known as Syria, is a Middle Eastern country located at the east end of the Mediterranean Sea. The country was formerly known, with Egypt, as the United Arab Republic. It is known locally as Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah ; the shortened form of this name is Suriyah. Syria is bordered on the north by Turkey, on the east by Iraq, on the south by Jordan and Israel, and on the west by Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. In 2001 the total land area of 184,050 square kilometers included 1,295 square kilometers of Israeli-occupied territory.

Geographically, Syria can be divided into four regions. A narrow fertile coastal plain runs along the Mediterranean border and extends inland to a narrow range of mountains and hills. The coastal climate is moderate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters; the average annual rainfall is this area is between 30 and 40 inches. The mountainous region runs from north to south, parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. The interior semiarid plains region is found to the east of the mountains. Much of the southeastern part of Syria is desert region that extends to the borders of Jordan and Iraq; most of the desert is a rock and gravel plateau that receives less than four inches of rain annually and is extremely hot.

Until the 1960s and 1970s, Syria was primarily an agricultural country. Because much of the country is semiarid and desert, only 28 percent of the land is arable land, and much of the farmed land must be irrigated. Since 1974, oil has become Syria's most important source of revenue and its greatest export. Pipelines from Iraq and Jordan cross Syria, and there is a pipeline to the coast as well. Forty percent of the labor force works in agricultural areas, 40 percent in service areas, and 20 percent in industrial areas.

The population of Syria is approximately 16.3 million, of which 90.3 percent are Arab; Kurds, Armenians, and nomadic groups make up the remaining 9.7 percent. The annual population growth rate was estimated at 2.58 percent at the turn of the century, with 41 percent of the population 14 years of age or younger, 56 percent between 15 and 64, and 3 percent aged 65 and older. Educational facilities have expanded since the mid-1960s, but illiteracy is still widespread among older Syrians living in rural areas and among women. In 2000, Syria's literacy rate was 70.8 percent. More males were literate (85.7 percent) than females (55.8 percent).

Although 90 percent of all Syrians are Muslims, they belong to different sects. Approximately 74 percent are Sunnites, and another 16 percent are members of Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects. The non-Muslim population is largely Christian; the largest group is Greek Orthodox, but there are also Armenian Catholics, Maronites, Armenian Orthodox, and Syrian Orthodox. There are small Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo. The country's legal system is based on Islamic law and civil law system, and there are special religious courts.

Arabic is Syria's official language and is spoken by of 85 to 90 percent of its people. Kurdish is the largest linguistic minority (11 percent), but Armenian, Aramaic, and Circassian are also widely understood. The older citizens often speak French, and English is widely understood and spoken among the younger and middle-aged groups. Most Arabic speakers are bilingual, so there are few communication problems resulting from language differences.

Historical Evolution: Three geographical factors have influenced Syria's history: its location on the trade and military routes, its varied topography, and the encroaching desert. Although the modern Syrian state was not established until after World War I, Syria has been inhabited by various powers since ancient times. The Amorites, coming in 2100 B.C. from the Arabian Peninsula, were the first important Semitic people to settle in the region and establish many small states. From the fifteenth to thirteenth century B.C., the area was probably part of the Hittites' empire. The Phoenicians established trading settlements along the coast sometime after 1250 B.C. From the eleventh to the sixth century B.C., Syria was invaded and intermittently controlled by Assyrians. Babylonian conquerors periodically held parts of the land, and even Egypt tried to reestablish positions in Syria. Alexander the Great conquered Syria between 333 and 331 B.C. His empire was conquered a short time later by the kings of Syria, the Seleucids, who founded cities and military colonies. In 63 B.C. the area was incorporated into the Roman Empire. Following the decline and collapse of the empire in the fourth century, Syria became part of the Byzantine Empire and remained so for almost 250 years.

The most important and lasting conquest took place in A.D. 636, when Muslim Arabs took over the region. During the following century, most Syrians converted to Islam, and the culture of the area became distinctly Arab. By the late eleventh century, the Crusades led to the incorporation of part of Syria into the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem. When the Seijuk Turks captured the area at the end of the twelfth century, Jerusalem was overthrown. In the mid-thirteenth century, Mongols under Hulagu Khan invaded Syria, destroying and sacking major cities and massacring tens of thousands of inhabitants.

The Ottoman Turks incorporated the region into their empire in 1516, and it remained in their possession for the next four centuries. Rulers established military and civilian schools; missionary and foreign schools were also established during these years, but most of the population attended the Islamic schools. In the late eighteenth century, the European powers began to have an increasing interest in Syrian affairs: the British were friends of the Druze, the Russians protected the Orthodox Christians, and the French became allies of the Roman Catholics. Growing Arab nationalism and opposition to Turkish control led to a British-supported rebellion prior to World War I.

The efforts to form an independent state were thwarted, however, when in 1922 the League of Nations made Syria part of the territory controlled by France and drew the geographical boundaries that have defined Syria into the twenty-first century. In an effort to maintain control, the French limited changes in the educational system as they tried to impose their own culture and language. The public education system was administered and controlled by French officials, who patterned the schools and the subjects taught after those in their homeland. As a result, the curricula did not consider the local traditions and customs. Many individuals chose not to attend these schools. Those who could afford private, foreign, or missionary schools often sent their children to these rather than the French public schools.

Following many years of political disturbances and uprisings, in September 1941 the French proclaimed the creation of an independent Syrian republic. In 1945 Syria became a charter member of the United Nations, and on April 17, 1946, Syria was proclaimed an independent country. The new state established an educational system that would provide needed manpower and include instruction that maintained local traditions and customs.

Much of Syria's post World War II history has been turbulent. Between 1949 and 1963 there were several military coups and frequent changes in government. In 1958 Syria and Egypt merged to form the United Arab Republic, but the agreement dissolved in 1961. In 1963 the Ba'ath Socialist Party came to power by military coup and the country began to stabilize. Another coup took place in 1970, and Hafez al-Assad, then Defense Minister, became president; he remained president until his death in 2000 when his son, Dr. Bashar al-Assad, became president. During the 1990s, Syria began working to improve diplomatic ties with the West and with the Arab world.

Constitutional & Legal Foundations

In 1967, Syria signed the Arab Cultural Unity Agreement with Jordan and Egypt establishing a uniform three-level education system and determining curricular examination procedures and teacher-training requirements for each of the levels. Since then all Syrian schools, colleges, and universities have been under close government supervision, overseen by the Ministry of Education.

The Syrian Arab Republic's constitution was adopted on March 13, 1973. The Ba'ath Party's emphasis on building a national identity is evident in the third part of the constitution: Educational and Cultural Principles. According to Article 21 of that section, Syria's educational and cultural system "aims at creating a socialist nationalist Arab generation which is scientifically minded and attached to its history and land, proud of its heritage, and filled with the spirit of struggle to achieve its nation's objectives of unity, freedom, and socialism, and to serve humanity and its progress." A portion of Article 23 underscores this commitment and responsibility: "The nationalist socialist education is the basis for building the unified socialist Arab society. It seeks to strengthen moral values, to achieve the higher ideals of the Arab nation, to develop the society, and to serve the causes of humanity. The state undertakes to encourage and to protect this education."

The right to an education is guaranteed in Article 37, which states that elementary education is compulsory and free. This article also notes that the state "undertakes to extend compulsory education to other levels and to supervise and guide education in a manner consistent with the requirements of society and of production." Women, in Article 45, are guaranteed "all opportunities enabling them to fully and effectively participate in the political, social, cultural, and economic life. The state removes the restrictions that prevent women's development and participation in building the socialist Arab society."

Educational System—Overview

Schooling is divided into six years of primary education (ages 6 to 12), followed by three years of intermediate education (ages 12 to 15), and three years of general secondary or technical secondary education (ages 15 to 18). The role of education is to transmit the traditional culture as well as teach the approved view of subject area knowledge. The Syrian Ministry of Education approves all curricula and all textbooks and support materials. The textbooks are written by state-approved authors and printed by the General Institute for Schoolbook Printing. Instruction is in Arabic.

Following the establishment of the three-level system in 1967, student enrollments increased dramatically. Between 1970 and 1976, primary school enrollments increased 43 percent, lower secondary enrollments increased 52 percent, and higher secondary enrollments increased 65 percent. During these years, enrollments in postsecondary institutions increased more than 66 percent. These increases are largely because of the government's goal to eliminate illiteracy by 1991; primary and preparatory schools were built in many areas, and mobile schools traveled into remote desert areas.

In 1981, an estimated 42 percent of the population over age 12 could not read or write. By 1984, approximately 57,000 Syrians had attended literacy classes sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. Although the goal of having a literate population was not achieved, by 1997 the number of citizens who were literate had increased to almost 71 percent.

Between 1970 and 1998, the number of female students enrolled at each level of schooling increased dramatically. The number enrolled in primary school increased from approximately 297,000 to over 1,267,000, and the number of females enrolled at the upper secondary level tripled, increasing from 14,000 to over 52,000. Many 12- to 15-year-old girls marry and are often unable to pursue an education beyond the compulsory level. Between 1970 and 1998, the number of female university students increased from 17,000 to 72,000, and the number receiving vocational education and training increased from 600 to 63,000. In 1998, females represented 47.7 percent of the students enrolled in primary schools, 45 percent of those in preparatory schools, 50.7 percent of those in the secondary general schools, 45.3 percent of those in technical and vocational schools, and 46.6 percent of those in universities. In 2001 Syria adopted a slogan of "education for girls" as part of its participation in the celebration of the annual Women's World Day on March 8. This underscores the country's commitment to having qualified women in the workforce and to helping women become more self-sufficient.

Private schools supplement the public schools, but less than 5 percent of the Syrian students attend them. There are two international schools in Syria for grades pre K-12 that serve the American and international community: ICARDA International School of Aleppo, which had an enrollment of 275 for the 2000-2001 school year, and Damascus Community School, which had an enrollment of 329 for the 2000-2001 school year. Both schools have a college-preparatory, American-based curriculum. The teachers at these accredited schools incorporate American teaching methods and offer a variety of extracurricular and intramural sports and activities. Students may enroll at any time during the school term. There is also a separate educational system run by the United Nations for Palestinian refugee children.

The Syrian Arab Republic is an active member of a number of organizations that benefit education. Among these are the Arab Organization for Education, Culture, and Science; the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Preprimary & Primary Education

Optional paid preprimary kindergarten programs are available for three- to five-year-olds. These programs are provided by private, tuition-charging institutions and by some government institutions. Approximately 7 percent of three- to five-year-olds attend an early childhood development program. The tuition charges at the government institutions are very low, and the students enrolled there are primarily the employees' children. In 1998-1999, almost 45 percent of those enrolled in a private early childhood development program attended public primary schools.

Primary education is free and compulsory for all Syrians ages 6 to 12. Students in the primary program are expected to complete one grade level each year; thus the program covers grades one to six. In 1999, there were 11,213 primary schools in Syria. The official Syrian curriculum is taught at each grade level to all students using syllabi and lesson guides provided by the Department of Primary Education and Kindergartens, a branch of the Ministry of Education. Teachers are trained in state-approved programs. Subjects include history, national (pan-Arab) education, geography, literature, social education, and Islamic education. Those completing the primary education program receive an End-of-Stage certificate.

Since 1961 Syria's educational system has been guided by five-year development plans. The fourth five-year plan (1976-1980) established a goal of enrolling all boys of primary school age by 1980 and of enrolling all girls of primary school age by 1990. By the early 1980s, Syria achieved the goal of enrolling all males in primary school, but the goal for female enrollments was not attained.

Secondary Education

Even though many students, especially in remote rural areas, do not take advantage of the secondary education programs, the public's demand for these programs has remained constant over the years. Many Syrians view completing secondary and postsecondary educational programs as a way to advance in society. Secondary education is an intermediate stage between the compulsory primary program for 6- to 12-year-olds and specific types of higher education and training.

In 1999, there were 3,440 secondary schools. Like the primary program, there is a rigid format: each student is expected to complete the required curriculum in one year of instruction. The first three years of secondary education provide intermediate courses; students enter the program at age 12 and complete it at age 15. Students identified as being gifted attend schools especially designed to address their needs. These schools are equipped with electronic libraries and learning laboratories. Teachers are trained to incorporate more hands-on activities and activities that promote creative thinking and problem-solving strategies. Those completing the intermediate program sit for the Al Kafa'a (Intermediate Level Diploma).

This stage is followed by another three years of general education for 15- to 18-year-old students. Students who are accepted into this program may either enter the general stream or technical track; entry is based upon the Al Kafa'a examination. Those entering the general stream receive one year of general introductory courses and then enter either the literary or scientific track. Students competing the general secondary program sit for the Al-Shahâda Al-Thânawiyya-Al'Amma (Baccalaureate Secondary School Leaving Certificate). The literary track examination has a minimum pass score of 102 out of a possible 240, and the scientific track has a minimum passing score of 104 out of 260. Based upon the examination results and the availability of openings, students may continue at the university level for six additional years or they may attend a two-year intermediate institute program.

In 1995, some 70 percent of those completing intermediate schooling entered the technical track. Students who enter the technical track are placed in either the industrial or commercial track. At the end of the three-year program, these students sit for the Al-Shahâda Al-Thânawiyya Al-Fanniyya (Technical Baccalaureate). The results of this examination determine entry into the Institute of Technical Education.

As a result of the decision in the 1970s and 1980s not to train teachers or revise the curricula to include computers and information technology, Syria had to make dramatic changes in the late 1990s when the Ministry of Education placed top priority on incorporating information technology into the secondary and preparatory programs. The state's five-year development plan for 1996-2000 focused on adding compulsory information technology courses in secondary schools, technical intermediate institutions, and vocational and technical education centers. The plan for 2001-2005 targets the teaching and use of information technology in all secondary level classes and in technical and vocational schools as well as expanding computer training in other levels. By 2000, all secondary schools had computers, and by 2002, computers should be available in the preparatory schools.

Higher Education

Public Universities: The Ministry of Higher Education supervises Syria's universities: Damascus University, Tishreen University, the University of Aleppo, and Al-Baath University. The ministry has worked cooperatively with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and UNESCO to develop the Syrian Higher Education and Research Network (SHERN), a national network for higher education with connection to the Internet. The project began in January 1999, and the core development is scheduled for completion in mid-2001. A presidential decree in 2000 led to the establishment of a Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at the four universities with 150 openings at each site.

Al-Baath University was founded in 1979 in Homs and housed the country's first departments of petroleum engineering and veterinary medicine. In 2000, the university had 16,274 students and 505 teachers. Tishreen University was founded in 1971 as the University of Lattakia. It offers an undergraduate degree in architecture.

The University of Aleppo, founded in 1960, offers courses with French, English, and Arabic as the language of instruction. In 2000, the university had 53,465 students and 3,377 teachers. There are a number of institutes attached to the University of Aleppo: the Agriculture Research Center, the Institute for the History of Arabic Science, the Intermediate Institute for Agriculture, the Intermediate Institute for Commerce, the Intermediate Institute for Engineering, the Intermediate Institute for Medicine, the Intermediate Institute for Dentistry, the Intermediate Institute for Secretariat, and the School of Nursing.

Damascus University, founded in 1903, is Syria's oldest and largest university. In 2000, there were 81,173 students and 2,809 teachers. Undergraduate students must complete a compulsory computer course, but the university has a limited number of computers for student use. In 1999 only 5 of the university's 21 computer laboratories had open access for students. The university's divisions include 13 faculties or areas of specialization, 7 intermediate institutes, and one higher institute, the Higher Institute of Administrative Development. Damascus University has close cooperative ties with a number of Arab and international organizations; faculty and staff work cooperatively on research and exchange programs. The university awards the following degrees: bachelor's, Diploma of Qualification and Specialization, postgraduate diploma, master's, and doctor of philosophy. The university's library is the center for Syria's Directorate of the Universities' Libraries.

The Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (HIAST) in Damascus trains engineers to head and guide scientific research and to propose projects that will address Syria's current and future needs. Many of these projects focus on improving and expanding the country's computer system, updating software, and providing an interface in Arabic for software programs. HIAST has been designated as a Center of Excellence and one of the 13 members of the Network of International Science and Technology Centers for Sustainable Development. Founded in 1955, the institute serves approximately 700 researchers, faculty, and students and awards the following degrees: bachelor of science, master of science, and doctor of philosophy.

Specialized Institutes: Several other institutes in Syria are not affiliated with any university. Aleppo Institute of Music, founded in 1955, has departments of Eastern and Western music. The Institute of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, located in Damascus, was founded in 1974 with help from Germany. Germany also assisted with the founding of the Institute of Technical Training in 1978; this institute offers only two-year courses. On September 19, 1999, Presidential Decree Number 4 established the Higher Institute for Management. This institute works collaboratively with the European Union. The Arab Language Academy of Damascus was founded in 1919. It is devoted exclusively to the study of Arabic language, literature, history, and culture.

Non-university level technical and vocational institutes, known as Intermediate Institutes, offer two-year training programs in a variety of areas for those having the Al-Shahâda Al-Thânawiyya Al-Fanniyya. These institutes award an Associate Degree, the Wathîqat Takharruj or Musaddiqat Takharruj certificate. One month of practical training must be completed in the summer as a part of the curriculum. The non-university level technical and vocational institutes are the overseen by the Supreme Council of Intermediate Institutes.

Courses, Semesters, & Diplomas: All higher education institutions are state controlled and financed. The Ministry of Higher Education and the Council of Higher Education coordinate higher education programs. The academic year is typically September to June. Arabic is the language of instruction. Based upon the results of their secondary examinations, Syrian students may enter nonuniversity level technical/vocation postsecondary programs or university studies or teacher education programs.

The Ministry of Education maintains agreements with many sisterly Arab and foreign countries that encourage cultural and educational exchanges. Foreign students may study at one of Syria's higher education institutions if they have obtained visas from the Syrian embassies abroad, have a residence permit, and meet the institution's admissions requirements. Foreign students may enroll in language proficiency courses at the Training School for Foreigners so they can master the Arabic language.

University studies are available in three sequential levels: Licence or Licentiate (bachelor's degree), postgraduate diploma and master's degree, and the doctorate. The time required to earn the Licence or Licentiate varies from four to six years. Arts, humanities, Islamic law, economics, social sciences, and fine arts programs each require four years. Five years are needed to complete engineering, architecture, agriculture, pharmacy, dentistry, and veterinary science programs. Medical students receive the Docteur en Médecine after six years of study. Those studying an additional year beyond the Licence or Licentiate receive the postgraduate diploma, and a master's degree is conferred after a minimum of two years of study beyond the Licence or Licentiate. The doctorate is awarded to those who, after receiving the master's degree, complete three additional years of study, conduct personal research, and defend a thesis successfully.

The primary grading system used by higher education institutions is based on a percent system: those scoring in the 90-100 percent range earn Martabet al Sharaf (Honors); 80-89 percent, Momtaz (Excellent); 70-79 percent, Jayed Jeddar (Very Good); 60-69 percent, Jayed (Good); 50-59 percent, Makboul (Pass); 0-49 percent, Raseb (Fail).

Administration, Finance, & Educational Research

The Ministry of Higher Education, led by the Minister and four deputy ministers, is responsible for all aspects of curricular development and administration of Syrian schools, colleges, and universities. Syria's schools are used to teach political ideology and to train those needed for the nation's current and projected future economic and political needs. They remain microcosms of the authority and order found in society; teachers' instructions and assertions are not to be questioned.

Because of government regulations, the general public's access to many forms of communication has been limited. Fax machines were illegal until 1995. In 1999, when the Internet first became available, access was limited because of the lack of phone lines and servers available, and because most Syrians had no training in information technology's uses. In fact, in 2000 there were only about 2,000 Internet subscribers in Syria. In 1999 Syria began a government-controlled pilot program that made Internet access available for the first time to government institutions and universities. At the first Syrian-Lebanese computer forum in April 2000, Bashar al-Assad, then president of Syria's Computer Society, recognized the importance of information technology and stated that Syria was planning an immediate expansion of Internet access so it would be available to every household. This expansion will impact research in a myriad of ways as knowledge is shared. Transferring technology from some countries, including the United States, was still banned, however, in 2001.

In September 1991, the government's National Information Center opened. The center has a two-fold purpose: collecting and preserving documents and selecting, collecting, analyzing, processing and storing information electronically. Syria's first optical archiving network began operation in 1993. The network enables researchers and decision makers to access records and documents quickly and easily. The National Information Center established an Internet site in 1997, but there was no online access to its records and files.

In February 1994, the center supported the creation of the National Coordination and Cooperative Committee for Information. One goal of the National Coordination and Cooperative Committee for Information is to work with existing organizations to create and maintain a national database with a uniform documentation system. Only those who receive prior approval, however, may use the information. Since August 1994, the National Information Center has periodically published a magazine to report its activities and those of other organizations.

Nonformal Education

Libraries are educational centers supervised by the Ministry of Culture. There are over 300 libraries in Syria. The major public libraries are the National Assad Library in Damascus and the university libraries in Damascus and Aleppo. The first academic library was the Medical College Library in Damascus. In addition to providing library services, Syrian libraries organize and present a range of cultural activities such as lectures, workshops, training course, art exhibitions, and showing of educational movies. Since 1974 a section of the Ministry of Education has supervised school library organization and provided for the training of librarians.

American Middle East Educational & Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST), a private nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, was founded in 1951 to promote cooperation and understanding between Americans and people of the Middle East and North Africa through education, information, and development assistance programs. The site in Syria opened in 1955, closed in 1967, and reopened in 1978. AMIDEAST Syria administers the Fulbright Program for students from the Middle East and North Africa, distributes basic advising materials and information on education in the United States, administers standardized tests required by universities in the United States, and coordinates study tours and programs in Syria for groups of American undergraduate students. Since 1996, AMIDEAST has offered both English and Arabic language courses for adults and for children. The American Language Center (ALC) was established in 1986 by the United States Information Service to teach the English language to Syrians and to expose students to American life and culture. The center had 45 native-English instructors in 2000 and up to 2,000 students each term.

Distance education is limited in Syria. Until the late 1990s, the Ministry of Education focused only on traditional forms of instruction. Educational television and programming are the responsibility of the Ministry of Education's Directorate of Teaching Technologies Center, which develops and produces educational resources. The televised programs have primarily been used to provide general information or series of programs designed to introduce and teach computer applications.

The Syrian Computer Society was founded in 1989 as a non-profit organization to promote and to contribute to the diffusion of information technology in Syria. The organization provides different levels of training programs that are open to the public; offers training programs for profession; and organizes workshops, seminars, and conferences. The Syrian Computer Society has worked closely with the Ministry of Education to form the Syrian National Policy for Information Technology in Education. This policy provides a timeline for training teachers, providing computers and other equipment to schools, and adding computer science and information technology courses in all levels of education. Syria's Internet infrastructure should be completed by mid-2001. At that time Internet providers will be licensed, and by 2001 approximately 50,000 people should be able to access the Internet. The plan calls for each school to have a Web site and to be connected to an approved Internet provider. In addition, free computer courses are available to all citizens at a number of accessible training centers. Future policies will address the development of online courses and other forms of nontraditional education.

Teaching Profession

Syria recognizes the importance of teacher training and preparation. Teachers in the Syrian Arab Republic are transmitters of the country's culture and political ideology. They must not only teach the approved curricula but also instill and support patriotism, discipline, and the value of placing society and country before the individual.

There are 14 teacher-training schools in Syria. Students are typically 14 years old when they enter teachertraining programs after two years of intermediate education. They receive training for teaching at either the primary level or the secondary level. Upon completion of the program, primary school teachers receive the Shahâdat Ahliyyat Al-Ta'lîm Al-lbtibâ'l (Primary Teaching Certificate).

More specialized training is provided for teachers at the intermediate level. Those who hold a baccalaureate degree must complete a two-year training program. Those wishing to teach at the secondary level must complete a one-year program of study from the Faculty of Education at the universities; they then receive a diploma and a special diploma in education. Preparatory school teachers may be trained in two-year programs at an intermediate institution before being allowed to teach in a program with a shortage of qualified instructors. Vocational secondary teachers must receive the Technical Baccalaureate and then complete a two-year program at an intermediate institution. To teach in at the higher education level, a teacher must have earned a master's degree or doctorate.

Because of the Ministry of Education's commitment to teaching computer science as an integral part of the curricula and using computers as instructional tools, teachers must be trained to teach computer science and promote computer-assisted instruction. There are five centers, each in a different province, that provide one year of intensive teacher training in these areas to selected teachers. More teachers are also being trained to incorporate student-centered hands-on activities and experiments in the classroom. This is especially evident in workshops and teacher-preparation courses for science teachers.

Changes in the area of teacher qualifications will take place sometime after 2001. A university degree with a diploma in education will be required of all teachers. Teachers will be selected based on interviews and written tests. Those selected will be required to attend a mandatory training program designed to address the new role teachers are playing in Syrian education. They are expected not only to create a classroom climate conducive to learning but also to council and to advise students who are studying self-paced programs. Teachers are expected to know and to be able to teach the ever-changing curriculum.

Summary

Schools in the Syrian Arab Republic reflect the philosophy of the state and mirror the nation's commitment to providing appropriate educational programs at each level. While transmission of the national culture is the cornerstone of the educational system, the state also recognizes the need to integrate traditional curricula with computer science and technology training. In 2000, some 45 percent of the population was under the age of 15, and 15 percent of the population was under the age of 5. Thus, many Syrians will be educated in schools that are undergoing continual and dramatic changes in curricula and instructional techniques. The implementation of computers and information-technology training at all levels of formal education will have a significant impact on future generations. In addition, the ability of university students and faculty to access information via the Internet will improve teaching and research. Syria's commitment to increase the availability of computers and Internet access in homes and workplaces will allow more Syrians to apply the skills learned at schools.

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—Jo Anne R. Bryant