Education reform urged to support development

Major reform is needed within the Syrian educational system to support human and economic development, according to the National Human Development Report released last week. The report, co-published by the Syrian State Planning Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), noted a deterioration in general education standards in Syria with grave consequences for the country’s level of development. Educational reform, it said, was a key strategic initiative for equipping Syrian society with the skills needed to prosper in a knowledge-based society, characterised by a market economy, good governance, gender equality, human rights and the rule of law. While noting the government's commitment to education, the report criticised certain educational policies and institutional inefficiencies which, it said, were creating unnecessary and avoidable setbacks to development. These obstacles, according to the new report, include wide discrepancies between educational priorities and the needs of the labour market, weak incentives for scientific and academic research, and weak investment in information technology networks. The report also expressed the need to address outdated university admission policies, gender and urban/rural gaps in education, authoritarian teaching methods and inadequate spending on education. "One of the most striking aspects of the report was the level of constructive self-criticism it contained, which was to be greatly admired," British Ambassador to Syria, Peter Ford, said at the report's launch. "The adoption of the principle of transparency and constructive criticism is a Syrian vision," said Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs Abdullah al-Dardari, stressing the importance of human capital as a top priority in the development process. The report noted a number of disturbing trends in Syrian education. The rate of illiteracy rose from 17 percent in 2003 to 19 percent in 2005, with literacy rates showing an increased bias towards urban and suburban areas, and male students, according to the report. Also, an estimated 25 percent of students leave school before finishing their primary level education, while 67 percent of students do not finish secondary education, according to the report. The authors of the report, described at the launch as "the elite of Syria's academics and thinkers", are calling for the reform of primary education and the incorporation of national education principles, human rights and social participation in school curricula. Meanwhile, the rate of university enrolment in Syria, at less than 17 percent in 2004-05, is low and declining - another impediment to economic growth, according to the report. The report quotes Minister of Education Hani Murtada as saying that there is a great loss of university professors due to the “brain drain” of those seeking employment abroad. "It should be a great concern to us that only 20 percent of those with PhD scholarships obtained in western countries returns to Syria," he said. Ali al-Zaatari, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Syria, said at the launch that the report was aimed at promoting comprehensive scientific and educational development in the country. “It will be followed by holding transparent discussions to enhance education progress and strengthen the country's human assets," he said. Syria's new vision for education was conceptually, politically and economically realistic, said Darim al-Bassam of UNDP. "Reality shows that the country lacks many things... transparency, clarity and accountability. Decision-makers are not shying away from this reality... transformation should be gradual and that's exactly what is happening in Syria." He said Syria had plans to make progress towards the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, and there were targets to achieve full enrolment in basic education as well as to tackle poverty, by addressing good governance and the quality of education among other means.