The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest the announcement issued by the British Foreign Office on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, regarding the United Kingdom’s readiness to be among the first donors to the education sector in Syria. This announcement came during a meeting between the British Director of International Development, Peter McDermott, and the Syrian Ministers of Higher Education, Marwan al-Halabi, and Education, Muhammad Abdul Rahman Turko, on the sidelines of the “World Education Forum 2026,” which was held in London from May 17 to 20, 2026. This forum is the largest annual gathering of education ministers in the world, and this year’s theme was: “Education for a Shared Future: Peace, Planet, Meaning and Path.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McDermott explained that the support would be provided through international mechanisms, primarily the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank, with a focus on rehabilitating schools in Idlib Governorate, child protection programs, language training, activity centers, and strengthening cooperation to support scientific research and educational infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement commends this announcement, considering it a reflection of international openness to the “new Syria” after its liberation from the shackles of the former regime. The Syrian Future Movement also appreciates the shift in the British position from punishment and isolation to positive and constructive engagement, viewing it as international recognition of the legitimacy of the Syrian government and appreciation of its efforts to consolidate stability and create suitable conditions for the return of international investments. We also recall the fact that approximately 1.4 million children and students remain out of school. This staggering number encapsulates the scale of the humanitarian and educational catastrophe left by the war waged by the ousted regime, making the reconstruction of the education sector and the training of its personnel a paramount national and international priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement outlines the dimensions and priorities of the support, which reflect an ambitious vision for building a knowledge economy. The announced areas of support focus on specific areas, including the rehabilitation of schools in Idlib, child protection programs, and investment in language training and skills development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We believe that this international interest in the education system should not be limited to restoration and equipping, but must be accompanied by a qualitative leap in curricula and specializations. In this context, the Minister of Higher Education affirmed that the Ministry is working to introduce modern specializations such as artificial intelligence, smart agriculture, and cybersecurity, in addition to strengthening technical education. These specializations represent the cornerstone of a knowledge-based economy capable of competing, meeting the needs of the future labor market, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Syrian Future Movement recalls its previous efforts in advocating for education reform and human resource development, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement expresses cautious optimism and offers a set of recommendations to ensure the success of this cooperation and the achievement of its desired goals. We caution against allowing international promises to become mere “declarations of intent” lacking credibility and implementation mechanisms. To guarantee that this declaration translates into tangible reality, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following to the government and relevant authorities:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Syrian Future Movement affirms its welcome of these international partnerships aimed at supporting the path of recovery and educational revival in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also reiterates that education is “an invaluable investment in the future,” and that the true success of this step will not be measured by the amount of funds allocated, but rather by its ability to bring about a radical transformation in the lives of millions of students, guaranteeing their right to a quality education that lifts them from the cycle of ignorance and poverty to the horizons of science and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new Syria we are all working towards is a Syria of science and knowledge, and this goal can only be achieved through a genuine national partnership between state institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Britain announces its readiness to support the education sector in Syria during the World Education Forum in London.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":64393,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4674],"tags":[4706],"class_list":["post-64395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scientific-office-en","tag-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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