The Ministry of Education in Sweida announces its readiness for the general certificate exams
The Directorate of Education in Sweida announced its full readiness to conduct the general certificate exams, in accordance with the approved ministerial instructions and regulations.
The Director of Examinations at Sweida Education, Liqa Ghanem, revealed on his personal Facebook page , Wednesday, April 29, that the number of students registered for the current academic year reached about 13,500 students, explaining that his directorate is keen to achieve the public interest and ensure the right of Sweida students to take their exams in a suitable atmosphere.
Ghanem stressed the Directorate's full commitment to providing all the necessary supplies, logistical equipment and procedures to make the exam process a success.
Response to a Student Petition
The statement of the Director of Examinations comes in response to a petition submitted by students of the preparatory (ninth) and secondary (baccalaureate) certificates in Sweida to the Directorate of Education and international bodies and organizations concerned with education, in which they demanded the issuance of official clarifications on the place and mechanism of submitting the final exams.
In their petition, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the students explained that the lack of accurate information and the spread of conflicting news about the possibility of taking exams inside or outside Sweida caused a state of anxiety and distraction between them and their families, which negatively reflects on their concentration and readiness for this crucial stage.
The petition stressed that the exams constitute a decisive milestone in the educational path of students, which requires providing a stable and clear environment away from the psychological pressures resulting from the current uncertainty.
He called on the students to "issue an official statement specifying the place and mechanism of the exams and unifying the source of information to reduce rumors and take into account the psychological and educational conditions at this sensitive stage", and the students concluded their petition by stressing their confidence in the response of the concerned authorities for the benefit of all students.
Faltering education since July 2025
The education sector in Sweida has not yet recovered from the repercussions of the events of July 2025, when dozens of schools were turned into shelters for the displaced, which led to the suspension of education at all stages. However, the hardest blow was to baccalaureate students, whose exams were completely stopped, unlike the rest of the Syrian governorates.
With the escalation of pressures, the "Legal Committee" approved in October 2025 the holding of compensatory exams for the governorate of Sweida, as part of strict control mechanisms to ensure the future recognition of certificates, and despite the harsh psychological and living conditions, about 85% of students were able to take the exams, according to the statement of the former director of education, Laila Jahjah, to the "Jethro Press" agency.
The end of the exams and the issuance of the results did not end the state of anxiety, as the students remained in the waiting circle, as the issue is no longer related to success or failure, but to the fate of the certificates themselves, and the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Education in Damascus and the Sweida district increased the possibilities of delay in recognition, which prompted students who applied for the secondary certificate exams to come out with a protest, in which they demanded the recognition of the certificates by the Syrian Ministry of Education , on April 23.
Gunmen storm the Sweida Education Directorate
On April 1, 2026, the Ministry of Education issued a decision to dismiss the Directorate of Education Leila Jahha and appoint Safwan Balan in her place, in the context of its attempts to solve the intractable education crisis in Sweida, before an armed group stormed the directorate building and attacked the employees, in an attempt to prevent them from continuing their shifts, in protest against the decision, according to the "Sweida 24" platform, which indicated that the invading group belongs to the security office of the "National Guard" of the spiritual presidency.
Later, the newly appointed director of education, Safwan Balan, announced his apology for continuing his duties after hours of tension, explaining that his decision comes "out of concern for the unity of the inner class in Sweida" and in response to the directives of the spiritual head of the Druze Unitarian sect, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.
Blanc confirmed on his Facebook page that his acceptance of the position was motivated by meeting the demands of educational staff, not a desire for the position itself.