By Ranim Al-Abd

Damascus — In a country burdened by war, division, and a deteriorating educational system, the school remains both a mirror of society and a laboratory for the future. Amid heated debates over a new decision to separate girls and boys in elementary schools, Syrian women’s voices are rising, urging a rethinking of education as a foundation for equality rather than a tool of discrimination.

In the midst of educational, religious, and social debates, the same society that fears boys and girls sitting together in class is the one that later fails to build relationships based on respect and equality.

Amira Hawaja’s Perspective

Amira Hawaja, a former politician and now a civil activist working on women’s and children’s rights, says:
“From my work, experience, and observation of many people’s lives, I believe education can be a lever to solve many of our country’s problems. We know that our nation is full of challenges—lack of social awareness that sometimes reaches the point of hatred, high illiteracy rates, and many children who have dropped out of school during the years of crisis. All this highlights the enormous responsibility we bear in this field, and the need to be extremely careful with any decision made in this regard. Our focus should be on improving education as the main path to raising a new, conscious generation.”

She hopes to see stronger efforts from the media, local communities, and even the interim government to implement reforms that serve Syrian society rather than deepen its divisions and discrimination. She regrets unilateral decisions that do not suit Syrian society, saying:
“The first thing we saw was the decision to separate boys from girls in elementary school. Society may accept this easily, but from my point of view, it does not serve our students. This decision benefits neither the boys nor the girls.”

What are we afraid of?

She asks: “If these children will later meet in university, study together, work together, and eventually build families together, why plant fear in their hearts from childhood?”

She insists that: “Segregation does not protect them—it plants in boys the idea that they are superior to girls, because they never learned that girls have equal rights or might even be smarter or more capable. This only reinforces discrimination instead of eliminating it, leading to negative consequences for families and for girls who wish to pursue their education. Today, we need every individual in society to contribute to rebuilding the country, and the educated person will always be more capable of doing so.”

She further questions: “Why make this decision at all? How much work will it take to raise awareness among local communities that fear the idea of mixed education? When I was a child, we sat together in elementary school, and later in middle school there were separate sections for boys and girls. Some communities accepted this, but many began to reconsider when they thought about their daughters’ futures in universities where they would study alongside young men. The issue is illogical—it adds yet another burden to schools already struggling with teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, poor facilities, and lack of labs, playgrounds, and music rooms.”

She adds that this decision is not in girls’ favor, but it will not stop them from challenging and persevering in their education:
“What truly matters is keeping education mandatory, because the real danger lies in depriving girls of this right—forcing them to leave school early to marry at fourteen or fifteen. That’s when we destroy their identity and push them into traditional roles that don’t reflect who they are or what they dream to be.”

Real protection lies in proper education

Amira Hawaja believes all these issues are interconnected: “Gender segregation does not protect morals—it strengthens divisions and gives boys a sense of dominance. Today, children have smartphones and access to YouTube content full of mixed environments and normal social interactions. So how can we separate them at school under the pretext of protection? Real protection lies in proper education—where students learn equality, that they come to school to learn, not to fear one another. The school should be a place of awareness and growth, with awareness programs for parents as well, because no educational reform can succeed without involving families.”

She hopes schools will become spaces for dialogue, holding regular meetings with parents about children’s rights and the importance of coeducation: “Education should be understood in its true sense—teaching independent thinking, self-respect, respect for others, understanding rights and duties, and protecting both body and mind. The Ministry of Education does not need decisions that enforce segregation, but rather ones that make schools nurturing spaces for both boys and girls—teaching equality and offering equal opportunities for all to reach their dreams. We need education that plants confidence, not fear; equality, not discrimination; respect, not control.”

The school is not just a place for learning—it is a space for upbringing and citizenship, where values of equality are built from childhood. Her vision, simple yet sincere, reflects a deep social awareness that true reform begins not from laws alone, but from the classroom itself—from how a boy looks at his classmate, and from the confidence a girl learns to carry within herself from her earliest years.