Enab Baladi – Christina al-Shammas
Some Syrian children in public primary schools are struggling at the start of the new academic year, prompting many families, even those with limited income, to rely on private tutoring and daily follow-up teachers.
However, the core problem extends beyond the weak teaching capacities in public schools or the rising cost of after-school help. Children aged six to twelve often need to receive information from their mothers, who are the closest to them emotionally.
Here begins the mothers’ ordeal. They find themselves facing curricula that differ from what they studied, subjects filled with new terms and approaches, and difficulties teaching their children English, all of which make home review more challenging.
The “Makanaa” parenting blog, in a report titled “A Mother’s Role in Developing Children’s Cognitive Skills,” notes that the mother is a child’s first teacher and the foundation upon which the child’s future is built. It states that she plays a decisive role in developing cognitive skills by creating a stimulating environment for learning and discovery through constant interaction, support, and encouragement; she can also significantly contribute to the development of a child’s creative and intellectual abilities.
Enab Baladi spoke with Syrian mothers about the difficulties they face when trying to explain lessons to their children, and how home follow-up has shifted from a welcomed form of support to a heavy task no less complicated than everyday life’s burdens.
Private lessons are not enough
Although many families turned to private tutoring for their primary-school children with the return of the school year that began on 21 September, this step does not resolve the heart of the problem. According to several mothers interviewed by Enab Baladi, their children ultimately returned to ask them for explanations, turning at-home follow-up into an added burden.
Lamia al-Asali, a homemaker in Damascus, said her son is in third grade. She hired a tutor last year, but her child would leave the private lesson and come back with questions about details he still hadn’t understood.
Lamia added that the tutor’s hours were sometimes “wasted” because her son would only respond to the information after she rephrased it in simpler terms.
After what she described as an “unproductive” experience, Lamia did not hire a follow-up tutor for her son this year. Despite her own difficulties with some subjects, she now uses everyday objects to clarify math problems or certain rules so that he approaches studying more positively.
Sara Maamour’s daughter, a fourth-grader, refused to sit with the follow-up teacher who recently began working with her, unless her mother was present right beside her.
When Sara asked her daughter why she wouldn’t accept the teacher, the girl replied that “having you next to me makes me feel safe.”
After the tutor leaves, Sara runs a quick review with her daughter, focusing on repetition and simplifying terms using words the child already knows.
Fatima Mohammed said her fifth-grade son struggles particularly with English. Although her own vocabulary is limited, she tries to help him by searching online and listening to audio clips with him.
Fatima believes private lessons alone are not enough and that a young child needs to feel their mother’s direct attention to better absorb the lesson.
Start of the new school year in Syrian public schools, 21 September 2025 (Ministry of Education/Telegram)
Different curricula, a hurdle for mothers
Some mothers find themselves confronted with curricula that differ from what they learned in school, turning homework and home review into a daily challenge that forces them to look for alternative ways to keep pace with their children’s questions.
Fatima noted that her son cannot grasp basic math rules the way the classroom teacher explains them.
To cope with the math curriculum changes, Fatima searches for educational videos online so she can learn first, then teach the lesson to her son.
“This method takes a long time,” she said, “but I find it the only solution so my son doesn’t feel discouraged.”
Rana al-Issa said that the English curriculum she is teaching her sixth-grade daughter has become a daily burden. She struggles with pronunciation and meanings, especially since she herself did not receive sufficient instruction in the language as a student.
Rana began relying on learning apps on her phone to review vocabulary with her daughter. She said this helped a little to bridge some gaps, but she still feels there is a wide difference between what she studied and what her children are studying now.
A mother’s role cannot be replaced
Education specialist Fadi al-Abdullah told Enab Baladi that a child’s need in the primary years to receive information from the mother is not just an emotional preference; it is an essential part of the learning process at this age.
He pointed out that depending on the mother provides the child with a sense of trust and safety, something neither a private tutor nor even a classroom teacher can offer to the same degree.
He explained that the early years of schooling are the most sensitive stage in the child’s cognitive development, and the relationship with the mother plays a central role in anchoring information. He added that educational studies confirm that children who learn together with their mothers tend to show better achievement than peers who rely only on outside sources.
As for the difficulties mothers face with the new curricula, al-Abdullah stressed that these challenges do not diminish the importance of their presence. Instead, they push toward finding alternative tools to bring ideas closer to the child.
“When a mother strives to simplify a lesson or hunts for a video to clarify it, she isn’t just transmitting information, she’s strengthening her child’s bond with learning and encouraging persistence,”
Fadi al-Abdullah
Education specialist
Al-Abdullah added that excessive reliance on private lessons without involving the mother can make the child more confused, because he lacks the emotional link that aids comprehension. He therefore recommends empowering mothers through training workshops or simplified support materials, rather than leaving them alone to face rapidly changing curricula that do not account for the generational gap.
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