Syrian textbook changes spark row as education ministry denies new revisions
Comparisons shared on social media show altered images and content in Syrian school textbooks. The Ministry of Education called the reports inaccurate and said no new changes have been approved.
A dispute has erupted in Syria over school textbooks, after comparisons circulated on social media appeared to show altered illustrations and revised content. Syria's Ministry of Education, which sets the country's curricula, has denied the reports. The row has reopened debate about the standards used to review teaching material and how far they reflect the country's social and cultural diversity.
What the comparisons show
Comparing different editions, users point to changes in several grades, including the early years and seventh grade. The sixth-grade primary book "Social Studies" was reissued for the current school year but originally dates from 2012–2013. Material linked to the former regime was removed from it, along with lessons on local administration, political life, citizenship, the media and democratic participation.
Hijabs, and in some cases long robes, were reportedly added to drawn female characters, pictures of women deleted, statues covered and artworks replaced. Reports also mention the removal of the "Mona Lisa" and of a drawing of a girl skipping rope. The Phoenician princess Elissar, founder of Carthage, is shown in a digitally modified portrait covering her chin and neck, and a pharaonic statue was dressed in a striped shirt.
In history books, critics point to removed national and pan-Arab figures, altered historical passages, and maps from which the district of Iskenderun and the occupied Syrian Golan were omitted. Activists described the changes as falsification of history.
Parents' reaction
Alia, the mother of a lower-secondary pupil who spoke to Euronews, said imposing a single way of depicting women could shape how children see social diversity. Jaber, the father of a primary-school girl, called on international children's rights organisations to act.
The ministry's response
On Monday the ministry said the only change since the fall of the former regime was one announced in January 2025, aimed at removing the ousted regime's symbols and ideological content. It urged the public to rely on official sources. Activists and education observers sharply criticised the statement, arguing it contradicts the visual comparisons taken from textbooks distributed in schools.
