Syrian school textbooks for the 2026–2027 academic year now feature modified illustrations, including the addition of headscarves to female figures and the blurring of sculptures. These revisions also involved the removal of existing civic education units from the course materials. The Ministry of Education announced on 17 August that the 2025–2026 'Damascus Curriculum' would be adopted nationwide for the 2026–2027 academic year. Authorities implemented these changes as part of the transition to the updated national curriculum. Students across Syria are expected to use the revised texts throughout the current term. Syrian school textbooks for the 2026–2027 academic year have been modified to include headscarves on female figures, the blurring of sculptures, and the removal of civic education units. These modifications represent a significant shift in the instructional materials provided to the student population.
Removal of Civic Education Units
Sixth-grade social studies textbooks now exclude entire units that formerly covered local administration, political life, citizenship, media literacy, and democratic participation. These specific topics were excised from the instructional materials during the recent curriculum transition. Sixth-grade social studies textbooks had entire units on local administration, political life, citizenship, media literacy, and democratic participation removed. The removal of these units marks a departure from previous iterations of the social studies program, which had emphasized these core concepts for students at the sixth-grade level.
Minister of Education Mohammad Abdul Rahman Turko addressed the changes on 14 September 2026. He stated that "imagery and symbols associated with the former regime had been removed from new textbook editions as part of an effort to unify the curriculum across all Syrian provinces." Mohammad Abdul Rahman Turko noted that these adjustments were intended to standardize the educational content delivered to students throughout the country. Minister of Education Mohammad Abdul Rahman Turko stated on September 14, 2026, that imagery and symbols associated with the former regime were removed to unify the curriculum. The Ministry of Education announced on August 17 that the 2025–2026 'Damascus Curriculum' would be adopted nationwide for the 2026–2027 academic year.
A report published by IMPACT-se on 19 October 2026 examined 130 textbooks from the 2025–2026 school year to assess the content of the materials. The study concluded that the revisions resulted in measurable reductions regarding the visibility of women and minority groups within the curriculum. IMPACT-se identified these changes through its analysis of the updated texts, which are now in use by students across Syria for the 2026–2027 academic year. An IMPACT-se report published on October 19, 2026, analyzed 130 textbooks from the 2025–2026 school year and found reductions in the visibility of women and minority groups. The assessment notes the scope of the curriculum adjustments as they appear in the current academic materials.
