Syria is stepping up efforts to bring an estimated 2 million school dropouts back into education through learning assessments, measures to address learning loss and expanded access to schools.
The Education Ministry recently conducted knowledge assessments for out-of-school children in Hasakah province to determine their educational levels and identify their learning needs. The assessments are intended to place students in grades suited to their actual learning levels and help them make up for missed schooling.
The initiative comes as Syria's education system deals with the effects of years of conflict, displacement and economic difficulties.
About 2 million students estimated to have dropped out
Education Minister Mohammad Abdul Rahman Turko told a People's Assembly hearing that around 2 million students were estimated to have dropped out of education. He attributed the situation to economic and social factors as well as the absence of schools in some areas.
The government expects the number of students in the education system to reach about 6 million during the current academic year, adding pressure on schools and teachers.
More than 5.2 million students returned to classrooms when the 2026-27 academic year began on September 6. A week later, the Education Ministry said total enrolment had reached about 5.291 million, up from 4.13 million in 2025, an increase of roughly 28%.
The rise has already created capacity problems. Authorities have opened 212 new schools, while some schools have introduced double shifts because of overcrowding. The ministry is also working to provide additional desks, textbooks and other supplies and fill teaching vacancies.
Learning assessments to help students return
The current programme is aimed at students whose education was interrupted for different reasons. In Hasakah, assessments are being used to determine learning loss and identify the level at which students can resume their education.
Earlier this year, the Hasakah Directorate of Education conducted assessments for 8th and 11th-grade students in Hasakah and Qamishli and several educational complexes in rural areas. The tests were intended to help students who had stopped studying because of local circumstances qualify for basic education and general secondary certificate examinations and continue their education.
The ministry has also introduced different routes back into education depending on how long students have been out of school. These include pathways allowing older students to sit certificate examinations, while younger students can undergo learning assessments before being placed at an appropriate educational level.
Conflict continues to affect school access
The data from UNICEF reflects the scale of the challenge. Its Syria education programme says about 2 million children remain out of school, while more than 7,000 schools have been damaged or destroyed. Displacement, lack of learning spaces, economic hardship and protection concerns continue to affect access to education.
UNICEF's 2025 annual report put the number of children out of school at 2.45 million, with nearly 8,000 schools non-functional. It said more than one million additional children were at risk of dropping out.
The agency has supported school rehabilitation, temporary classrooms, teacher training and accelerated learning programmes designed to help children who have missed years of education catch up and return to formal schooling.
Government says dropout cannot be addressed by education ministry alone
Turko has said the reasons behind school dropout extend beyond the education system and include social and economic conditions. He said addressing the issue would require coordination between several ministries, while the Education Ministry's role would be to provide an appropriate learning environment and ensure access to education.