Education in Syria
| Ministry of Education Ministry of Higher Education | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Education Minister of Higher Education | Nazir al-Qadri Abdel Moneim Abdel Hafez |
| National education budget (2020) | |
| Budget | £S 32.59 billion |
| General details | |
| Primary languages | Arabic |
| System type | National |
| Literacy (2015) | |
| Total | 86.4% |
| Male | 91.7% |
| Female | 81% |
| Enrollment | |
| Total | 800 000 |
| Primary | 80% (2013) |
| Secondary | 78% (2012) |
| Post secondary | 43% |
Education in the Syrian Arab Republic is given the necessary attention and care by the Syrian state, as the Constitution of Syria guarantees the right to education to every citizen, which is compulsory and free at primary level. It is free but not compulsory at the secondary level and higher education is available for a symbolic fee. the primary level includes 3 stages, 1 which include grades 1 to 6, while 2 (middle school) includes grades 7 to 9, and lastly 3 (secondary school) grades 10 to 12.
According to the 2007 census, 98 percent of schools in Syria were public (state run), 1.8 percent were private, and 0.2 percent were United Nations Relief and Works Agency schools for children who are refugees.
In 2007, there were 8 million students in the education system of Syria (4 million in basic education, 1.4 million in secondary and 2.3 million in tertiary). Given the current growth rate in the school age population, it is projected that by 2015, the education system in Syria will need to cater to an additional 1 million students in basic and secondary education.
The school system in Syria is divided into basic and secondary education levels:
- 1st to 6th grade: Primary Education Level. From 1st to 4th grade, it’s called the First Ring (Arabic: حلقة أولى; halaka oula) while 5th & 6th grade are called Second Ring (Arabic: حلقة ثانية; halaka thania)
- 7th to 9th grade: Pre-Secondary Education Level (Arabic: تعليم إعدادي; taelim 'edady )
- 10th to 12th grade: Upper Secondary Education (Arabic: تعليم ثانوي; taelim thanawi), which is the equivalent of High School.
Higher Education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education.