School in Damascus announces separate education for boys and girls
The prestigious Al-Hurriya Institute in Damascus, Syria, announced its intention to introduce gender-segregated education for students. The decision has sparked criticism among Syrians, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Separate classrooms and grounds
The institution, formerly known as the Laïque Institute, announced its plans in a Facebook post. According to the publication, the post had likely been deleted by the time of publication.
The school explained the decision by its desire to avoid problems that had arisen previously. The institute also said that similar facilities had been arranged for female students. Boys and girls are to be separated both in classrooms and on school grounds.
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Reaction from teachers and parents
According to the Syrian Observer, some teachers are concerned that the new arrangement will require them to teach the same lessons twice. Some parents expressed dissatisfaction that the school had not focused on improving infrastructure.
Critics of the decision also wrote online that they view gender segregation at the institution as a sign of Syria's Islamist future. The Al-Hurriya Institute, which The Jerusalem Post describes as a secular French school, was founded by the French mission in Syria during the mandate period.
