Education & Career
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Druze factions block Sweida students from Syria exams
Hindustan Times··29 Aug
Armed Druze factions in Syria's Sweida province blocked students from official exam centres on Saturday. They demanded tests inside areas they control. Governor Mustafa al-Bakkur said about 150 students still sat exams. Fighters in Shahba said Friday that roads were closed to students and proctors. An 18-year-old told AFP gunmen fired into the air when students tried to head north.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Sweida students who could not reach Saturday centres may need another ministry makeup date.
- Families in Druze-held Shahba face closed roads when exams are scheduled in government-held northern sites.
- The education ministry said it regrets that not all students reached examination centres.
What's Happening
- Authorities had set Saturday exams for students who missed tests two months earlier because of tensions.
- Sweida remains outside full control of Syria's new Islamist authorities after Bashar al-Assad's fall in 2024.
- July 2025 clashes killed more than 2,000 people, including 789 Druze civilians, per the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Why Sweida Remains Contested
- A government committee documented 1,760 deaths from the July violence, while Damascus says trials of suspects have begun.
- Israel struck during the clashes, saying it was defending Druze communities.
- Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri said on Monday his community is an integral part of the State of Israel.
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