Syriac curricula for secondary school comes into effect in North and East Syria

ZALIN, Syria — For the first time in modern history, official educational curricula are being prepared in the Syriac, said Co-Chair of the Olaf Taw Association Jalinos Eissa to Hawar News Agency.

“The [Syrian] regime used to prohibit teaching in Syriac and imposed Arabic as a main language,” Eissa added. “We, as Syriac people, want our children to grow up learning their actual history, morals and culture.”

The regime teaches children a curriculum that is not inclusive of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and does not accurately teach their history, he continued.

Administrator in the Training and Education Committee in the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria Shamiram Danho explained that, “Since the establishment of the DAA, we began to organize the educational situation in the region; the main task was preparing a new educational curriculum.”

“In the 2015-2016 academic year, we prepared the curriculum for primary school students — from the 1st to the 6th grade,” she elaborated.

“In 2017-2018 academic year, we prepared the curricula for preparatory school students — from the 7th to the 9th grade,” said Danho, indicating that after gaining practical experience, preparations for secondary school curricula have been completed. These preparations have been completed during the 2019-2020 academic year. Furthermore, the curricula, which include the histories of all peoples of the region, have been prepared in the Syriac, Arabic, and Kurdish languages.

Read Also:The Olaf Taw Association and the Question of the Revival of Syriac Culture and Language in Gozarto