North and East Syria streamlines exam registration after education agreement with central government: “This agreement is a lifeline for students like me”

BETH ZALIN, North and East Syria — Days after the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria’s Education Authority (DAARNES) and Syria’s Ministry of Education finalized an agreement on 9 June to coordinate Preparatory and Secondary Certificate examinations, students in North and East Syria are already benefiting from the new arrangement.  

On Wednesday, a SyriacPress reporter visited the newly established exam registration center at the Ibn al-Nafees Teacher Training Institute in Beth Zalin (Qamishli). Among the first to register was Yahia al-Saeg, a 17-year-old from the Al-Arbawiya neighborhood. Previously, Yahia had to travel to Daramsuq (Damascus) to file his exam paperwork — a journey that could last weeks and incur prohibitive lodging and transportation costs. 

“Registering there meant staying in Damascus for days, even a month,” Yahia explained. “Not everyone can afford that. Here, I’m in my own city, no more travel hardship. This agreement is a lifeline for students like me.”

Renas Fattah, a member of DAARNES’s Education Board, described the smoothly coordinated registration effort. Operating jointly with a Syrian Ministry of Education committee, DAARNES has set up four dedicated desks for first-time registrants and four additional desks for students transferring from other provinces.  

“We began today with strong demand, but registration pressure eased as the day went on,” Fattah said. “Students bring their prior exam receipt or registration card. If they lack these, we verify their prior enrollment with their original registration center. New applicants need only a copy of their ID or family booklet.”  

Under the agreement, Preparatory Exams originally slated for 14 June will now take place on 21 June. Joint supervisory committees will oversee testing in six cities — Beth Zalin, Hasakah, Raqqa, Dayro Zcuro (Deir ez-Zor), Tabqa, and Sarrin — while temporary shared registration centers will remain open through 16 July.  

DAARNES officials emphasized that the pact is designed to protect students’ rights and maintain educational continuity across administrative lines. 

“This collaboration has offered hope to hundreds of students — and it’s only the beginning,” concluded Renas Fattah.