Syria

Syria recognizes the importance of teacher training and preparation. Teachers in the Syrian Arab Republic are transmitters of the country's culture and political ideology. They must not only teach the approved curricula but also instill and support patriotism, discipline, and the value of placing society and country before the individual.

There are 14 teacher-training schools in Syria. Students are typically 14 years old when they enter teachertraining programs after two years of intermediate education. They receive training for teaching at either the primary level or the secondary level. Upon completion of the program, primary school teachers receive the Shahâdat Ahliyyat Al-Ta'lîm Al-lbtibâ'l (Primary Teaching Certificate).

More specialized training is provided for teachers at the intermediate level. Those who hold a baccalaureate degree must complete a two-year training program. Those wishing to teach at the secondary level must complete a one-year program of study from the Faculty of Education at the universities; they then receive a diploma and a special diploma in education. Preparatory school teachers may be trained in two-year programs at an intermediate institution before being allowed to teach in a program with a shortage of qualified instructors. Vocational secondary teachers must receive the Technical Baccalaureate and then complete a two-year program at an intermediate institution. To teach in at the higher education level, a teacher must have earned a master's degree or doctorate.

Because of the Ministry of Education's commitment to teaching computer science as an integral part of the curricula and using computers as instructional tools, teachers must be trained to teach computer science and promote computer-assisted instruction. There are five centers, each in a different province, that provide one year of intensive teacher training in these areas to selected teachers. More teachers are also being trained to incorporate student-centered hands-on activities and experiments in the classroom. This is especially evident in workshops and teacher-preparation courses for science teachers.

Changes in the area of teacher qualifications will take place sometime after 2001. A university degree with a diploma in education will be required of all teachers. Teachers will be selected based on interviews and written tests. Those selected will be required to attend a mandatory training program designed to address the new role teachers are playing in Syrian education. They are expected not only to create a classroom climate conducive to learning but also to council and to advise students who are studying self-paced programs. Teachers are expected to know and to be able to teach the ever-changing curriculum.