{"id":4061,"date":"2019-08-06T12:55:37","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T12:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/media.sfjn.org\/women_in_the_curriculum\/"},"modified":"2019-08-26T18:53:53","modified_gmt":"2019-08-26T18:53:53","slug":"women_in_the_curriculum","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/media.sfjn.org\/en\/women_in_the_curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"How Women Are Depicted In The Syrian Curricula"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]An Analysis of the educational process and the various curricula taught in the different influence zones across Syria<\/p>\n

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Lama Rajeh<\/strong> explores how women are portrayed in the various curricula taught across Syria today; in the regime-controlled areas, in the opposition-controlled areas and in the areas run by the Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. She analyzes how gender-balanced these curricula are, and she compares the teaching methods used in each of these areas. She also investigates how social circumstances and political reality are affecting the education process.<\/p>\n

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This article is the outcome of an ongoing collaboration with the\u00a0Syria Untold<\/a>\u00a0with support from\u00a0The Guardian Foundation<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0International Media Support<\/a>\u00a0(IMS)<\/p>\n

Filming in Kurdish-held areas: Jano Shaker, Judy Haj Ali
\nFilming in rebel-held areas: Ayham Beyoush
\nVideo editing: Saad El Hajj
\nInfographics: Ahmed Najjar<\/p>\n

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I was speaking with him on WhatsApp. The tone of his voice and the way he spoke suggested that as the eldest brother, he was the decision-maker in the family and was perhaps also the one in control.<\/p>\n

Mohammad is 13-year-old, he is in the 7th-grade in middle school. He lives with his family in Maarrat al-Numan in Idlib Countryside, the area is now under the Syrian opposition. He has two sisters who are five and twelve years old.<\/p>\n

Mohammad attends one of the schools affiliated to the opposition Syrian Interim Government. The Interim Government policy is to segregate males and females in schools starting from the 5th-grade. He justifies that saying, \u201cmixing in school is prohibited and haram, and that\u2019s better for both girls and boys, because this way, girls can preserve themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

We tried to find out how the school curriculum Mohammad is learning influences the way he thinks, and how it affects his relationship with his mother and sisters. He said, \u201cwhat I learn in books doesn\u2019t matter that much to me, what matters is upholding the principle that my sisters do not leave the house alone, and they they only go out if my father or myself chaperone them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Syrian revolution erupted eight years ago and changed the political scene completely. We thought it is important to investigate the extent to which these changes affected the education process. Our main aim is to explore the level of awareness among educators about the importance of breaking gender stereotypes about the roles of women and girls. We also want to explore how these roles are portrayed in the various curricula taught across the country.<\/p>\n

We worked on analyzing two subjects; \u00a0Reading and Social Sciences in the curricula taught for 5th- and 6th-graders in regime-controlled areas, opposition-controlled areas, and the areas of the Kurdish Autonomous Administration in North-East Syria.<\/p>\n

It became evident to us by reviewing and analyzing the Reading curricula in each of these areas that most of the texts were written by male authors. \u00a0In addition, the curricula included texts authored by parties or institutions such as the Ministry of Education, or other educational or medical institutions.[\/vc_column_text]\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Text in the image above:<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b>Lesson authored by the Ministry of Education or Medical or Educational Institutions.<\/p>\n

5th Grade Reading curriculum<\/b>:<\/p>\n

The first term:<\/b> Poetry: 4 lesson: male authors<\/p>\n

The second term:
\n<\/b>
\nProse: 14 lessons: 8 by male authors. 3 by female authors and 3 unidentified.<\/p>\n

Poetry: 4 lessons: male authors.<\/p>\n

6th Grade Reading curriculum:<\/b><\/p>\n

The first term:<\/b><\/p>\n

Prose: 11 lessons: 8 by male authors. 1 by female authors and 2 unidentified.<\/p>\n

Poetry: 4 lessons: 3 by male authors, 1 by female.<\/p>\n

The second term:
\n<\/b>
\nProse: 11 lessons: male authors.<\/p>\n

Poetry: 3 lessons: male authors.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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The Syrian Regime\u2019s curriculum is not adequately inclusive, especially in the light of the deteriorating \u00a0security conditions<\/h3>\n

Hiba (pseudonym), is 43- year-old and she has been working as a primary school teacher for nearly 15 years. She talked to us about her views concerning the curriculum and teaching methods adopted in state schools affiliated to the Syrian government. \u201cThe Syrian regime tried to introduce new teaching materials in an attempt to portray itself as promoting women rights. However, in many aspects, the new curriculum reinforces the stereotypical image of women. Until now, it failed to include a realistic depiction of the reality of women and girls in Syria and the role they are playing in achieving peace. Despite the fact that the curriculum was recently updated, we didn\u2019t find in the new teaching materials any mention of the role women played in war relief efforts or humanitarian aid. Instead, women\u2019s were depicted in ways that confirmed stereotypes and reemphasized the gendered roles that women are traditionally limited to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Syrian regime issued the latest update to the educational curriculum in the academic year of 2018-2019. According to several teachers we interviewed, males and females are still segregated starting from middle school. There are few exceptions to this gender separation, mainly in few private schools in Damascus, Homs, and Hama.<\/p>\n

We analyzed 63 lessons from the Reading curriculum for 5th- and 6th-grades, along with 65 other lessons from the Social Sciences subject. According to our analysis, 23 of the lessons from Reading and 15 from Social Sciences were discriminatory against women and girls. This discrimination was noted both in texts and images.<\/p>\n

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Innovation and invention are male characteristics<\/h3>\n

In our analysis of the Syrian regime\u2019s educational curriculum, we found that professions like scientist or inventor were referred to as male occupations. There was one exception; one lesson only discussed a Syrian female scientist. On the other hand, we found multiple references to stereotypical images of the role of women as mothers, caretakers, teachers, or secretaries. \u00a0In contrast, the names of many famous male poets, calligraphers, and scientists were listed in the lessons.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text]\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>[vc_column_text]6th grade Reading Lesson entitled : A Male Inventor from my Homeland.<\/p>\n

As for sports \u00a0and hobbies, some lessons depicted boys playing football whereas girls had hobbies that were \u201csuitable to their gender\u201d such as playing the violin.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Nursing is a Woman\u2019s Profession<\/h3>\n

The Syrian regime\u2019s educational curriculum depicted nursing as a women-only profession. One lesson, for example, spoke about the occupation of being a female nurse, \u00a0and \u00a0how selfless nurses are. It attributed \u00a0\u201cfeminine qualities\u201d \u00a0to nurses such as \u201cbeing amicable and pleasant, beautiful, and smiling.\u201d The same gender stereotype was repeated in the \u00a06th-grade lessons where there were verses of poetry that described female nurses as \u201cwhite fairies,\u201d and \u00a0\u201cblossoming flowers decorating this world,\u201d and \u201ccompassionate.\u201d We did not find any example of \u00a0discussing nursing as a profession for men as well.[\/vc_column_text]\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
An example from 6th grade Reading curriculum. The highlighted quote reads: ” And this girl was pleasant, her heart was generous and she was devoted to her work. She roamed between the rooms of the hospital with a smile on her face always”<\/div>\n

Politicizing the Image of Women:<\/h3>\n

We found that there was a kind of politicization of education in a way that served the interests and agendas of the Syrian regime. For example, one lesson discussed a girl called Sahar who always dreamed of excelling in science. \u00a0Sahar aspired to win competitions and to raise her country\u2019s flag on her shoulders in celebration. The text has a politicized connotation; it brings to mind the political controversy surrounding the Syrian flag. The Syrian opposition readopted the independence era green flag to distinguish itself from the Syrian regime red flag. \u00a0The text also associates women excelling in science to their patriotic feelings and sense of duty. We could not find a similar link or association made when a male inventor was discussed.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
An example from 6th grade Reading curriculum. The highlighted quote reads: “I dream that I am seventeen years old, and I see myself victorious and carrying the flag of my country on my shoulders”<\/div>\n

The educational curriculum in the areas of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria; an attempt to achieve gender integration.<\/h3>\n

The curriculum is published both in Arabic and Kurdish. We analyzed 36 Reading lessons published in Arabic in the curriculum of 5th- and 6th-grades. We found that 19 of those lessons included discriminatory language or images that stereotyped women and girls. We analyzed 156 lessons form the \u00a0Social Sciences, of which 10 lessons were discriminatory.<\/p>\n

During our field visits to the Al-Sharif Al-Radi School in Qamishli, we noticed that there were no interactions between boys and girls in 6th-grade, whereas boys and girls in 3rd-grade mixed and interacted. We also observed that female students seemed comfortable and at ease when they interacted with their male classmates.<\/p>\n

Jiyan Harasan is a Kurdish language teacher in the Al-Radi school. She talked to us about \u00a0their efforts to help the girls and boys overcome social timidness resulting from the largely conservative culture. They sit them together side by side and make them participate in activities together.<\/p>\n

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