The purpose of modern education lies in nurturing the human being as a complete entity; one that embodies values of beauty, ethics, and coexistence, far beyond mere memorisation or the mechanical accumulation of knowledge. Education, at its essence, is a dynamic process that interacts with positive moral and aesthetic values, shaping how individuals engage with others regardless of their colour, sect, nationality, or belief.
Achieving this vision may seem straightforward if educational institutions recognise their true role in building citizens; by stimulating creativity, encouraging critical thinking, and cultivating moral and aesthetic awareness. These goals are universal, forming the foundation of social harmony and collective well-being in all societies.
Following the years of war and crisis, and after the fall of Assad’s regime, Syrians have begun to reflect on the contours of their new nation; a Syria whose schools and educational spaces should foster values of truth, goodness, and beauty, providing the groundwork for peaceful coexistence. In this vision, the classroom can become a nurturing space for a unified civic identity, one in which individuals embrace one another with respect and compassion.
Education as a Complete Human Framework
Dr. Raymond Maalouli, former Professor of Educational Foundations at the University of Damascus, told +963 that education, according to the human personality theory, aims to build the individual as a multi-dimensional being – intellectual, emotional, social, aesthetic, and physical.
He explains that intellectual education manifests through disciplines such as mathematics, science, history, and geography. When taught critically and scientifically, he says, these subjects expand the learner’s intellectual horizons and stimulate reasoning and discovery.
Maalouli highlights that education also carries a vital emotional dimension, cultivating values such as empathy, responsibility, and belonging. These can be developed through subjects that prioritise moral understanding and emotional growth rather than rote learning.
The aesthetic dimension, he adds, is the “heart of the matter.” Music, art, and crafts nurture sensitivity, refine taste, and enhance one’s relationship with oneself, others, and the environment. “Omitting arts from the curriculum,” he says, “makes education incomplete. Art is to learning what salt is to food; without it, humanity loses its flavour.”
Regarding religious and ethical education, Maalouli believes it should be taught under the supervision of qualified specialists and presented as a unified subject that focuses on universal moral principles and the history of religions, rather than sectarian divisions or ideological dogma.
“What we sometimes see – hostility towards art and music – is evidence of an unbalanced education,” he adds. “A well-rounded person appreciates beauty and lives all dimensions of their personality in harmony.”
He concludes that the ultimate goal of education is to form a balanced, multi-dimensional personality – intellectual, emotional, social, aesthetic, and physical –capable of understanding, creativity, and harmonious coexistence.
Read also: What Education Should Syrian Children Receive at Schools?
The Battle over Syria’s Curriculum
Researcher Sawsan Zakzak argues that Syria’s educational reality today faces deep and complex challenges. In a statement to +963, she describes the current curriculum as “a battlefield,” where one faction is attempting to impose its vision – even threatening the Minister of Education himself.
According to Zakzak, this faction seeks to ban the teaching of art and music, relying on narrow religious interpretations. “This contradicts the historical role of art in Islamic civilisation,” she notes, “where music and song flourished across centuries.”
Another major challenge, she says, is the absence of peace education in post-war curricula. After years of conflict and social fragmentation, there was an urgent need for materials that teach principles of civic peace and human rights. “The Ministry of Education,” Zakzak stresses, “should have formed a specialised committee to include subjects that rebuild the social fabric and promote coexistence.”
She also warns against practices in some schools that force students to chant religious slogans, which instil sectarianism and extremist thought. “These ideas,” she says, “nurture hatred toward others and threaten the stability of Syria’s fragile social peace.”
Zakzak concludes that overcoming these challenges is still possible, but only through decisive accountability, a comprehensive curriculum review, and the inclusion of content that reinforces civic unity, gender equality, and resistance to hate speech.
The Role of Environment and Community
Syrian researcher Hussam Hassoun reminds us that education is not a single event but a lifelong process accompanying every stage of a child’s growth. Speaking to +963, he explains that parents and caregivers play the first and most critical role in shaping a child’s moral, behavioural, and social development, but that the surrounding environment (school, neighbourhood, relatives, friends) becomes equally influential.
“The school,” he says, “reinforces what the family begins – either cultivating openness and dialogue, or entrenching rigidity and dogma.” This becomes especially dangerous in closed environments, where girls are denied education, curiosity is suppressed, and religion is used to limit thought rather than enlighten it.
Hassoun notes that international conventions have long recognised the power of educational content to shape collective identity, which is why many countries regulate how moral and religious values are presented. However, in some societies, any deviation from conservative norms is branded as heresy – banning mixed classes, physical education, or music lessons – a trend he describes as “a regression that strangles intellectual and emotional growth.”
Learning Through Play, Art, and Experience
From a psychological perspective, Hassoun stresses that children, especially in early developmental stages, need freedom to play, explore, and make mistakes, alongside moral guidance that avoids coercion or guilt. Otherwise, he warns, “we risk producing generations that lack flexibility, imagination, and the ability to adapt to change.
He further insists that schools are not only institutions of learning but, above all, institutions of upbringing. Educational programmes must therefore address all aspects of development – mental, emotional, social, and creative. “Subjects like music, art, and physical education are not luxuries,” he emphasises. “They are essential tools that break academic rigidity, allowing children to express themselves, build friendships, and learn cooperation and empathy.”
He concludes that these activities – artistic, musical, and athletic – cultivate ethical and emotional intelligence, enabling children to understand diversity, practise forgiveness, and appreciate beauty in all its forms. “In countries that value creativity,” he says, “learning through play and self-discovery has replaced rote instruction, preparing children to think freely and engage with the world as confident, balanced individuals.”
