Contents of the Report - An introduction to the requirements of educational development. 1- Educational System at the end of the 20th Century:

1-1- Principal reforms and Updating:

A- The legislative framework of education. B- Structure and managements of the system. C- Evaluation policies – ways and means. D- Goals of current and prospective reforms and its basic characteristics.

1-2- Quantitative and qualitative achievements:

A- Entry into education. B- Democracy of Education (Equity of education). C- Educational quality and appropriateness.

1- Student’s care. 2- Educational curricula. 3- Technical and Vocational education. 4- Introduction of technology and informatics. 5- Preparation and qualification of teachers.

D- Society participation in the modification process.

1-3- Lessons taken from the modification and reform process in the educational system: Adopted methods: failure or success of strategies, main difficulties, etc.

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1-4- Challenges facing education: 2-Education contents and learning strategies in the 21st century:

1-5- Development of educational curricula / principals and hypothesis:

A- Decision-taking process. B- Planning and design of the educational curricula.

- General objectives and principles. - Theories and experiences. - Selection of knowledge genres and organization of inter-curricular

subjects. C- Teaching and learning strategies. D- Evaluation policies.

1-6- Changing the content and appropriateness of education:

A- Requirements of reform. B- Participation in the modification process. C- Priorities. E- Curriculum strategies.

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An introduction on the requirements of educational development: - In the contemporary life and progress of nations, the educational role has been

growing, and such growth has been associated with the tacit attention of the relevant governments and international organizations since the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. Education has evidently become the reference of many nations that are so keen to ameliorate and sublimate their reality to further progressive and more growing future in different fields of civilization and development.

- Education in Syria, therefore, has received primal attention from the political

leadership and the state, namely after the Correction Movement in 1970 under the leadership of the Late President HAFEZ AL-ASSAD, who has made man the focal point of educational strategy because man is the essence of any progress and building up. His Excellency reiterated that saying:

“The success of man building up – this considerable process - is the basis of

success in confronting any challenge encountered by the homeland and nation”.

This has been reflected in setting up the annual and educational quintet plans

in connection with the comprehensive plans and extensive educational achievements on the basis of manifest trends in the educational policy that is are based on:

1- Realization of the principle of educational democracy both on the quantitative and qualitative dimensions.

2- Application of the policy of mandatory education.

3- Expansion of applying the technical and vocational education plan to achieve effective connection between the educational outputs, development requirements and labor market.

4- Utilization of modern technology and informatics in education and updating of the educational management.

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5- Emphasis on how to teach by developing the contents of the educational process system, and ameliorating the qualifications of the educational cadres and developing its methods.

- By the beginning of the 3r Millennium and following the extensive political,

social, economical and cultural changes witnessed worldwide, education has started facing cultural and advance technical challenges, which enhanced the concept of the objective updating of all the elements of educational systems and up grading their internal and external competencies.

- Under scientific methodology and comprehensive view, the intention of

educational updating and development was confirmed by the beginning of the 21st century in the constitutional oath speech delivered by President Bashar AL-ASSAD before the People’s Assembly on 17/07/2001 when he said:

“Reform and development should inevitably cover our educational, teaching,

cultural and information organizations in service of our national and regional causes, enhancement of our original heritage, rejection of negativity and narrow-mindedness, remedy of the social phenomena which adversely affect the unity and integrity of the community”. - On the light of this strategic view of the educational reform in Syria, Ministry of

Education outlined the features of its educational strategy for the forthcoming period as of 2000 till 2020. Some of the main features of this strategy are:

- It is targeted towards building up of future man with national, patriotic and

humanitarian dimensions, through which the moral, national. Patriotic and humanitarian values are strengthened and reacted with the Arab and International pragmatic experiences and practices, realistic based on scientific analysis of reality. This is intended to expedite the educational updating movement, including the entire process of educational system and utilized to develop the sense of devotion towards productive work, the positive reaction with the environment, and connection of the productive work with the system practices and adherence thereto.

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1- Educational system at the end of the 20th Century: 1-1- Principal reforms and updating.

A) The legislative framework of education: The Constitution of Syrian Arab Republic issued on 1973 provided the

general principals and objectives as follows:

- Article 21: The cultural and educational system aims to raising up an Arab national, socialist, and scientific-minded generation linked to his history and territories, proud of his heritage, saturated with the spirit of struggle to achieve the goals of his nation for unity, freedom and socialism and to contribute in serving humanity.

- Article 22: The educational system ensures constant progress of people and

keeps up with the permanent development of its social, economical and cultural requirements.

- Article 37: Education is a State-sponsored free of charge right in all stages and

it is mandatory in the elementary stage. The state has been working on extending the mandatory stage to cover up the stages otherwise, supervising education, and directing it to be linked with the community and production requirements.

Some laws relating to educational legislation and development of its regulations

have been issued:

- Mandatory education Law No. /35/ of 1981, which provides to join all children in Syria from the age of 6 into the elementary schools. However, it entitled the Ministry of Education to bring the children’s legal guardians, who refrain to send their male/ female children to schools, to court and to impose penalties varying from financial fines to imprisonment. Besides, it gave incentives both to children and the teaching staff.

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- Eradication of illiteracy Law No. /7/ of 1972 obliging state authorities and

popular organizations to contribute in illiteracy of those, whose circumstances prevented them from joining the elementary schools.

- Private education is currently based on Law No. /160/ of 1958. The Ministry has

prepared a new draft decree intended to develop the regulations of private education and establishment of private schools to perform their teaching and educational role hand in hand with the official education in raising up the and preparing generations futurewise.

- In the scope of reforms, the Legislative Decree No. /13/ of 1994 was issued

providing the creation of vocational education and organization of its affairs. Moreover, Legislative Decree No. /290/ of 1997 was issued to establish three faculties for Education is Aleppo University, Tichreen University in Lattakia, and Al Ba’ath University in Homs in addition to Damascus University. By virtue of Decree No. /61/ of 1999, these four faculties were assigned to prepare and graduate educational cadres for all stages of education including the elementary stage and kindergartens.

- Decree No. /49/ of 2000 was issued allowing the Ministry of Education to

perform contests to provide students with internships into the faculties of education in order to be prepared for the various specialties relevant to all stages of education.

- Decree No. /15/ dated 10/03/2001 was issued to establish an Institute for

teaching Arabic Language to non-native speakers. This institute is an educational and teaching organization that has branches in the governorates interested to provide the educational teaching environment for foreigners, who are desirous to learn and use Arabic.

B- System Structure and Managements:

Ministry of Education supervises undergraduate education, private education and kindergartens, while the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs supervises the handicapped education. However, adult education is under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.

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Educational Stages:

1- Pre-elementary stage (Kindergartens):

Children from 3 to 6 years old are admitted in this stage where education is optional and payable. Ownership of such education is held to either official or private sectors. Ministry of Education takes upon the setting up of its programs, curricula and regulations and supervising thereon. In the field of reform and development, the curriculum of kindergartens was completed and applied on the school year 1998 / 1999. Ministry of Education issued assisting manuals for nurses and printed booklets concerning the activities of the kindergarten’s kids according to modern kindergartens curricula. Moreover the Ministry created a department for early childhood at the Research Directorate - Ministry of Education to conduct studies and researches related to this stage for the purpose of improving the educational process therein due to its importance in building up and developing the child’s personality.

2- Elementary stage of education: Mandatory and free of charges education is provided in this stage for each 6 years old child. The duration of study is /6/ years in which the local authorities contribute in supervising the educational process and providing its requirements such as school buildings and assets (desks, tables and blackboards…). Since the Educational democracy and policy of mandatory education are applied, books in this stage are provided to all pupils free of charge although the number of pupils is /18%/ of the population. However, the ministry seeks to extend the duration of mandatory education to /9/ years.

3- Preparatory stage: It follows the elementary stage directly for which duration is /3/ years.

4- Secondary stage: Secondary education starts directly after the preparatory stage on which the

pupils who passed the exams of the preparatory certificate are only admitted. The study duration of this stage is /3/ years. The secondary stage, however, is divided into three branches:

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1- General secondary education, in which the first year is the common primary year then two branches are considered:

a) Scientific branch b) Literary branch 2- Secondary vocational and technical education divided into three branches: a) Industrial b) Commercial c) Feminine Arts 3- Secondary Sharia education. - The technical and vocational secondary education is offered free of charge in all

types and branches. Moreover, an allowance is granted to the students in the technical and vocational education and the relevant books are available for all students at very low prices. In 2000, the technical education and the vocational education were merged together to become unified vocational education for /3/ years. The vocational education, whose duration was not more than /2/ years was cancelled under the Regional Leadership Decision No. /15/ of 2000.

5- Ministry of Education’s Intermediate Institutes: Free of charge and 2-year-education consisting of 3 divisions:

1) Intermediate institutes for preparation of assisting teachers in different specializations. The students, who passed the high school stage, are admitted.

2) Technical institutes including: - Industrial institutes admitting students, who passed the technical or vocational secondary stage. - Commercial institutes admitting students, who passed the exams of the commercial secondary certificate. - Institutes of feminine arts admitting students, who passed the secondary feminine arts stage.

3) Teachers’ Institute (2-year-system).

It admits only students (both sexes), who passed the general secondary certificate to graduate teachers for the elementary stage. This institute will be cancelled within the coming years, and teachers will be prepared in the Faculty of Education pursuant to Decree No. /61/ of 1999, issued under the National Project for Educational Development in Syria.

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6- University and Higher Education: The state provides educational opportunities in the universities and institutes for

those, who are interested and have passed the general secondary stage of education and for the first successful students in the technical and vocational secondary schools subject to specific criteria on the basis of to the average scores the students got in such exams. Moreover, students of the Faculty of Architecture, Fine Arts Faculty and some other institutes should pass an admission examination while Arab and foreign students may join the Syrian Universities and maintain the same privileges of Syrian students.

Higher education is based on the following rules:

1- Capacity of all the interested students passing the secondary stage at the same academic year.

2- Free of charge Education. 3- Linking higher education with the development plans. 4- Qualification of the cadres required in the country in different fields of

specialization. Study duration:

- (6) years at the Faculty of Medicine. - (5) years at the Faculties of Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmaceutics, Civil Engineering, Agriculture, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. - (4) years at the Faculties of Science, Fine Arts, Letters, Education, Economy, Law and Sharia Education. - (2) years at Intermediate institutes.

The academic year last for /9/ months consisting of /2/ semesters, and the number of subjects for each are not less than three and not more than six subjects. The subjects and the curricula are specified by the By-law, which divides them on semesters and determines the teaching hours required for each subject and also set out the attendance percentage, which should not be less that /70%/ for each subject.

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Exams are made twice a year (academic year) at the end of each semester in

January and June. Graduates are granted certificates signed by the Dean of the Faculty, Rector of the University and the Minister of Higher Education. Moreover, the first superior graduates are rewarded financially and morally according to Decree No. /14/ of 1995.

The university books are provided at low prices and the rent of the university campus is inconsiderable. Students may obtain loans from the Students’ Bank. Under development, many faculties, departments and intermediate institutes were established in the last decade of the 20th century some of which are:

- Faculties of Informatics Engineering in Damascus University, Aleppo University, Tichreen University and Al Ba’ath University. - Faculty of Pharmaceutics in Al Ba’ath University. - Faculty of Spinning and Textile Engineering in the universities of Damascus and Al Ba’ath. - Aviation Engineering, Nuclear Engineering and Industrial Engineering in Aleppo University. - Marine Engineering in Lattakia. - Agronomy culture Engineering in Al Ba’ath University. - Faculties of Education in the University of Aleppo, Tichreen and Al Ba’ath. - Departments of English, French and Arabic Languages, History and Geography in the University of Aleppo, Tichreen and Al Ba’ath. - A number of Intermediate institutes: Legislative decrees:

Many decrees were issued of which we mention:

- Decree No. /20/ of 2000 allowing the first graduates in the intermediate institutes to be enrolled directly in the second academic year at the faculties of their specialization. - Decree No. /12/ of 2000 providing authorization of the Minister of Higher Education to modify the by-laws of the faculties in conformity with requirements of development and modernization.

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- Decree No. /388/ of 2000 to establish the Institute of Environmental research in Lattakia. - Decree No. /517/ of 2000 to establish the Institute of Earthquake research in Damascus.

It is worthwhile mentioning that the computer was used in the examination of certain subjects in addition to computer application in university admissions. Management of Education: A) Pre-university stage:

The Ministry of Education handles the educational affairs in the elementary, preparatory and secondary stages. It carries out technical supervision over kindergartens and private education. The Minister of Education presides the Ministry and is responsible for setting up and implementing the educational plans within the framework of the state scheme. The Minister has five assistants and each of which is responsible for a number of directorates. The Directorate of the Minister’s Bureau and the Directorate of Internal Control are directly connected with the Minister. The Minister chairs the board of the General Organization of the Education Buildings, the General Establishment of School Books and Printed Matters, the Institute of teaching Arabic Language to non-speakers, which is linked with the Ministry of Education. - The directorates of education implement the ministry’s policy and plans in the

governorates. They are /14/ and the director of education in each governorate represents the minister. The ministry carries out technical and administrative supervision over its directorates, and the local community share in such supervision through an elected council to be the highest authority in the governorate. This council is entitled to construct all kinds and stages of schools, implement the mandatory educational plan, and provide healthcare for students through its Executive Bureau chaired by the governor.

Table /2/ shows the structure of the Ministry of Education.

The ministry intends to strengthen decentralization in accordance with the local administration law.

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B) University stage:

The Ministry of Higher Education is in charge of this stage and the Minister of Higher Education is responsible for implementation of its assignments where three assistants help him. Each one chairs a number of central administrative directorates. The following Educational Institution, however, are related to the minister:

1- Universities. 2- Higher Education Council. 3- High Council of Science. 4- High Council of Fine Arts, Letters and Humanities. 5- High Council of the Intermediate Institutes. 6- Hospitals and Medical Centers.

C- Evaluation policies, methods and means:

The educational process in its different elements such as teachers, students,

books, educational management and school buildings is subject to constant evaluation by different means in order to find out the extent to which the specific educational objectives have been realized.

1- Evaluation of the teacher’s performance: The evaluation of the teacher’s performance is made by: - The Educational advisor in terms of the elementary stage teacher and the

specialized advisor in terms of the preparatory and secondary stages. This advisor pays several instructional visits on the basis of which he prepares an instructional report about the teacher including his evaluation of the teacher’s preparation of the daily plan, the applicable method, activities and class management, his reaction with the students. This report is referred to the Directorate of Education.

- The school principal evaluates teacher’s activities through his relation with the

principal, students and parents and the extent of on his commitment. - In 2000, the ministry created the first teacher system in the preparatory and

secondary stages, which constantly evaluate teacher’s performance and constant enhancement of his qualifications.

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2- Evaluation of the principal: The educational advisors, specialists and internal inspectors at the educational

directorates and competent departments take part in evaluating the school principal. The ministry seeks to create a comprehensive system to evaluate the educational process on all levels.

3- Evaluation of books:

A) Probation of the new books for one year before applying them. Officially, during the probationary period, teachers themselves, who applied them, evaluate the books as well as the local domestic committees established for this purpose with participation of citizens and popular organizations.

B) Field evaluation during the first year after probation, where direct meeting is

held among teachers, schools principals, educational and specialized advisors and representatives of popular organizations and parents.

C) The observations of the field evaluation are considered with the various central

committees and evaluation results are reported to the High Committee in order to supervise the development of the curricula under chairmanship of the Minister of Education for consideration of approval.

D) The High Committee makes modification of the new books on the light of the

evaluation results after approval.

4- Evaluation of Students: The academic year in the elementary, preparatory and secondary stages is

divided into two semesters, in each semester the pupils / students carry out: A) Oral examinations. B) Homework and exercises. C) Written exams. D) Semester final exam.

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- The semester’s average is considered on the basis of (A-B-C) + D score. - The final average of the year is counted out of the mean average of the two

semesters. - At the technical and vocational secondary education, students sit for a

practical skills exam too. - At the end of the elementary stage, completion certificate is given thereto. - At the end of the preparatory stage, successful students in the written exams

are given the preparatory certificate. - When students pass the general written exams at the end of the secondary

stage in either of the two branches (scientific and literary), they are granted the general secondary certificate.

- Students obtain the technical or vocational secondary certificate when they pass the written exams at the end of this stage.

- Students of the Sharia preparatory stage and sharia secondary stage obtain their certificates when they pass the required exams.

- Computer is used in preparation of the question banks and the results of the general exams during the last decade of the 20th century. In order ensure accuracy and objectivity, arrangements to apply question patterns to be corrected by computer have started.

5- Global evaluation:

The Directorate of Research (Evaluation Department) conduct field evaluative study under its annual scheme on different systems of the educational process subject to priorities. The Ministry, however, seeks under its new directives to develop the administrative and technical structures of the global education evaluative process in order to increase plan coverage and quality of performance. 6- Educational conferences:

Four educational conferences were held in Damascus where comprehensive

evaluation was made on all aspects and stages of the educational process. The recommendations given in such conferences were considered as basic directives to develop education in Syria during the forthcoming ten years.

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- Conference of Under-graduate Education Development in 1974. - Conference of Under-graduate Education Development in 1986. - The first Educational Conference to Develop Education in 1987 in cooperation

with the Ministry of Higher Education. - The second Educational Conference to Develop Education in 1987 in

cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education too. One of its recommendations was to develop the approaches of evaluation and exams and creation of a center for educational evaluation and exams.

D- Objectives of the current and future reforms and basic characteristics:

The conventional approaches of education are no longer able to keep up with the rapid scientific and technological developments or to meet the requirements of human development, which has become the pillar of the comprehensive development in our contemporary world. Therefore, educational updating should be introduced into the contents of the educational process and technology to acquire:

- Scientific novelty and modernity in contents. - The ability to enhance the cultural and national identity of the new generation. - Flexibility in reacting with school environment, ambient social variations and humanitarian and international experiences as well. - Upgrading the scientific, professional and applicable qualifications of the graduates. - Development of graduates’ skills and creativity as distinctive national and domestic fortune.

Consequently, the quality development plans of the Ministry of Education concentrated on:

- Attention in the preparation and qualification of teachers at the faculties of education to ameliorate their practical, cultural and educational qualification for all educational stages. - Comprehensive development of the educational curricula starting with kindergartens, general, technical and vocational education and introduction of scientific specialized subjects and renewable concepts that meet the requirements of human development in terms of the balanced structure of man, namely in the fields of environmental, demographic, health and informatics consciousness, moral, Arabic and humanitarian original values.

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- Development of the pedagogies and learning and enhancement of the student’s

in-class / outclass participation and activities, and giving special attention to self-education and cooperative education too.

- Establishment of schools for the superior students to ensure the appropriate educational environment that develop their skills and enhance their capabilities in research, self-education and ingenuity.

- Modifications in the administrative structures on two levels (central and local), which allow the continuous application of such reforms on educational quality. For example, development of the structure of the research directorate and establishment of new departments for early childhood, activities, sources of education and vocational education, departments of environment and demographic education and psychological and educational guidance division, etc.

1-2- Quantitative and qualitative achievements: A) Admission into education (capacity rates). B) Democracy of education (equity). - The application of democracy and compulsory educational policy, which are

considered the pillars of educational policy in Syria, has given rise to the educational opportunities before all children (males and females).

- The indicative index in this respect shows percentage increase in the number of

the under-graduate students /25%/ in comparison with population in 2000, while it was about /18.5%/ in 1970.

- The following table shows the increasing number of students, schools and

educational cadres during the last three decades:

School year 1970 – 1971 1999 – 2000 No. of students 1.282.435 4.016.822 No. of schools 6981 17331 No. of Educational Cadres 33899 210041

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Kindergartens:

The baselines of individual’s personality are shaped up. The impact of education on the kid (3- 6 years old) is clear through his school achievements in the elementary stage and stages to follow otherwise, the matter that limits the possibilities of school failure or skips. In consequence, the development of education at this pre-elementary stage incorporates the basis of educational development and upgrading of its outputs.

Hence, considerable efforts are required at this stage because the capacity

rates available are still few and out of the educational range. The number of kindergartens was /1170/ in 1999 – 2000.

The number of classes was /3444/. The number of children was /115613/ (males and females) supervised by /4640/ nurses.

The Ministry of Education use much efforts to encourage opening of further new kindergartens and to promote the interest in them through:

- Creation of a department at the Research Directorate to handle education and development of the early stage of childhood. - Designation of special educational advisors at the educational directorates in the governorates after going through qualification courses to improve the educational supervision on kindergartens. - Development of the environment in kindergartens through preparation of new curricula, manuals, booklets of activities and games, and educational means to attract children to perform such activities. - Facilitation of the measures required by the Ministry to establish new kindergartens under the recommendations of the Second Educational Conference for Development of Education and Encouragement of Popular and Domestic Organizations and to open new Kindergartens or expand the already existing ones subject to the proper technical and educational conditions.

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Elementary stage:

In implementation of the compulsory education law, the ministry and its

directorates follow up the joining process of all counted children into schools and keep them in schools and prevent skipping till the end of the elementary stage (compulsory stage).

The following table shows the number of children under the age of

compulsory stage, the number of children available in classes and the number of skippers at the end of the school year 1999 – 2000:

No. of children under the age of compulsory stage

Number of admitted pupils at the elementary classes

Out-school

Total % 2,795.120 2,772.565 22.555 0.08 %

Statistics of the last decade of the 20th century show that: - Average of those who continue studying till the 5th grade – males : /93.2 %/ - Average of those who continue studying till the 5th grade – females : /90 %/ - Percentage of those who complete the elementary stage (both sexes) : //85%/ A) – Preparatory and secondary stages:

Stage Increasing percentage of students number

during the last 5 years 1995 – 2000

Increased number of graduates

Number of students in each

class

Preparatory 12.5 % 26.5 % 35 students General secondary 12.5 % 25.50 % 30 students Vocational secondary 29 % to be specified 32 students

B) Democracy of education (equity): Educational opportunities are opened before all children, male/ female, rich, poor, urban, rural and nomad. Moreover, parents are obliged to send their children to schools, but it is worth mentioning that these rules are not only applicable on citizens but on residents in Syria as well.

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The following necessary facilities are offered to admit children into schools:

- Construction of schools even in the smallest inhabited, rugged, and remote areas and in the nomadic area where people wander in pursuit of pasture for their cattle where mobile schools and lodges for the teachers are provided. The number of schools with one teacher are /938/, and the non-completed schools till the end of 1999 was /5215/.

- Provision and constant training of qualified teachers. - Attention in schoolbooks in terms of form, layout, and distribution on the pupils of the elementary stage free of charge and under-cost price in stages otherwise. Health care: Preventive and therapeutic healthcare services are provided for the pupils through:

1- Implementation of vaccine program in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

2- Periodical examination program and prognosis of contagious diseases. 3- Oral and dental health program provided by the Regional Center of Guidance

and Training and Research of Oral Medicine. 4- Health Control Program of school environmental and hygienic cultivation.

Non-governmental bodies contribute to this process but in limited scale:

1- Kindergartens : /506/ at /43%/ of the total number. 2- Elementary schools : /172/ admitting /74406/ pupils. 3- Preparatory schools : /68/ admitting /15482/ students. 4- Secondary schools : /62/ admitting /15933/ students. 5- Confiscated schools or similar cased : /18/ schools. 6- Schools owned by foreign governments or international organizations.

The ministry procures to develop the status of private education in order to take part in the functionality of the official education.

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Special Education:

Statistics of 1994 showed that there were /174587/ different disabled conditions among children (deafness, blindness, mental or physical disorders). The governmental institutions related to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in addition to domestic associations provide the educational and rehabilitation services as follows: - /4/ institutes for deaf and dumb at the governorates of Damascus, Lattakia,

Homs, and Aleppo. - /7/ institutes for mental development at: Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Lattakia,

Daraa, and Deir Ezor. - /2/ institutes for cerebral paralysis in Damascus. - /1/ institute for blinds in Damascus. - /2/ institutes for physically disabled in Damascus and Aleppo. /25/ Domestic associations take care of the apparent disability of blindness, deafness, mental and physical disabilities. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs work together in cooperation with the Syrian Association of Psychology to study the slight disabled conditions, which can be amalgamated into the general education. It is worthwhile mentioning that the institutes of the disabled are domestic providing accommodation, education, and training. Moreover, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs takes care of orphans, who have no legal guardians and offers educational services to misdemeanants in a special institute. Illiteracy:

Law No. /7/ of 1972 was intended to eradicate illiteracy among all citizens, who are over 8 years old and never been to school or known reading and writing. The law stipulates that teaching illiterates is a national and free of charge task. It obliged all the directorates, establishments, official and popular organizations and employers to take part in eradication of illiteracy. Remarkable quantitative and qualitative changes have been achieved in this respect.

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New books in title “Welcome to Science“ were compiled more suitably for teaching of adults. In such books, concepts of demography, information and general issues concerning health, environment, development and women’s role in society were introduced. In 1998, the project implementation for merging demographic awareness within the illiteracy program in cooperation with UN Population Funds and UNESCO started. Besides, another project was conducted in 1992 and new other projects in 1997 as well. The Ministry of Culture also carries out the process of adult teaching with the coordination with the other competent authorities to accomplish the project of illiteracy eradication and technical qualification of rural women. The new curriculum seeks to meet the adults’ primary educational needs and to enhance self-education in simplified and easy-to-use style. Central and local forums are held to train operators in the fields of illiteracy eradication. This has lead to a noticeable decline in the percentage of illiteracy in comparison with the population over 10 years old as follows:

Illiteracy % 1990 1998 Males 11.2 7.1 % Females 32.2 22 % Total 21.50 14.5 % The applicable experiences and projects confirmed that linking between illiteracy eradication and technical qualification was fundamental motif to join the illiteracy eradication programs, particularly women in addition to the program of mother’s demographic cultivation. C- Education quality and appropriateness:

- The state’s concern in Syria to educate all citizens (males and females) with the

great and increasing interest in the quality of education in implementation of the educational democracy and compulsory principles, namely during the last decade of the 20th century. Remarkable steps have been realized in this respect:

1- Students’ care: Healthcare provided to pupils was mentioned earlier and the psychological and educational guidance system was introduced in (2000 – 2001) in preparatory and secondary schools to be expanded in future.

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2- Educational curricula: - Global educational updating of all curricula for all the educational stages according to three trends: Updating, - Deployment and direction. - Content enrichment with national thought, and conception of martyrdom and sanctity of martyrs, enhancement of the inputs of environmental, demographic and health education, and child’s rights in addition to the specific knowledge of all subjects. - Informatics teaching through introduction into the curriculum as subject in the theoretical and practical frameworks in the secondary, general, and vocational education as well as the technical intermediate institutes. - Teaching English language at an early stage as of the 1st grade of the elementary stage will be applied at the 4th grade in the school year 2000- 2001; whereas teaching French as a second language will be applied in the 1st grade of the preparatory stage. - Introduction of updating projects in the study curricula based on cooperative education and the students’ activities, e.g. global education and school health program in cooperation with the relevant international organizations. - National production of educational and learning means associated with the new curricula using national expertise through the production centers established by the ministry for this purpose. - Adoption of field experiment and evaluation principle for one full academic year when education after application would be on the light of the evaluation results. 3- Technical and vocational Education:

- Introduction of the vocational education beside the technical one at the secondary stage in (1988 – 1989) and giving it priority attention to the application and extension of the traditional, environmental and modern vocations, which strengthen the ties between education, comprehensive development and the evolving requirements of labor market.

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- Decree No. /13/ of 1994 provided the creation of vocational education, organization of its curricula and examinations, creation of new vocations in all the ministries concerned with vocational education to advance graduates’ qualification. - Decision No. /15/ of 2000 issued by the Regional Leadership concerning the development of vocational education. This decision emphasized the merger between vocational education and technical education in a unified vocational education in the secondary stage with duration of /3/ years after which students obtain the vocational secondary certificate in either of the three branches: Industrial, commercial or feminine arts. - Introduction of vocational education in the curriculum of the primary education to enhance the vocational direction and to link primary education with life. 4- Introduction of Technology and Informatics: - The ministry established a special directorate for Informatics and branch departments in the governorates. - Utilization of informatics in modernization of the educational management in the fields of statistics, school map, evaluation and personnel affairs. - Production of computer-aided TV educational programs transmitted on the education channel in addition to preparation of the computer-aided instructional programs on CDs (electronic books). Moreover, the ministry initiated an educational channel on the Internet. - Production of teaching aids as the ministry established /5/ production centers for the production of teaching aids using national expertise. One of them is the headquarter and the four others are specialized in the governorates. This experience is considered a national success in terms of cost reduction and provision of the proper teaching aids associated with the curricular development starting from the elementary stage.

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