Syria’s Ministry of Education announced on Saturday that it had completed all preparations for a special examination session for students in Sweida province, affirming that exams would proceed as scheduled despite difficulties faced by some students in reaching exam centers.

The ministry stated that it coordinated with relevant ministries, local authorities, and Sweida provincial officials to ensure the smooth operation of the tests. Examination sites were reportedly fully equipped, with exam materials and staff in place to provide a fair and safe environment for all students. While the ministry expressed regret that some students were unable to attend due to external circumstances, it emphasized its commitment to safeguarding every student’s right to education and examination participation.

“We will remain alongside our students, and our doors and educational alternatives will remain open to them, because their right to education and examinations is a fundamental right,” a ministry spokesperson said.

However, Sweida Governor Mustafa Al-Bakour reported that armed outlaw groups had been obstructing students from leaving the city to reach their designated exam locations. Speaking to a local channel, Al-Bakour described how tensions escalated into physical confrontations between students, their families, and these groups. He added that during these clashes, vehicles belonging to citizens were destroyed.

Despite the obstruction, the governor noted that students remained gathered in the city square, driven by a strong determination to take their exams. To accommodate the situation, the local authorities postponed the exam start time by one hour, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., in an effort to facilitate the safe passage of students to their examination halls.

One 18-year-old student recounted being trapped on a bus within Sweida city while waiting for the roads to reopen. She described an incident in which an armed group arrived, threatening the students and firing shots into the air to intimidate them after they insisted on continuing north toward their exam centers.

The situation has drawn concern from international actors as well. Marianne Ward, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, expressed worry over the disruptions impacting students’ ability to access education amid the ongoing insecurity in the area.

The ministry’s efforts to maintain educational continuity in Sweida come amid broader challenges faced in conflict-affected regions of Syria, with local authorities seeking to balance security concerns and students’ rights to schooling and examinations.