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It's the start of the new school year, which this year coincides with the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. Passionate head teacher Amal Hassan has been in charge of Zaki Al-Arsuzi Girls' Secondary School for over a decade. She expects a lot of her girls and is surprised that so many are now wearing the hijab.

A highlight of this first term is the visit to the school of the young and fashionable wife of the Syrian President, to inspire the girls at a business workshop at the school.

At Benin Jaramana Boys' School, we meet another new pupil, Yusif Androus. He is a Christian Iraqi refugee who has come to Damascus from Baghdad following the murder of his oldest brother. Syria provides Iraqis with free education but Yusif struggles to fit in and to get over his fear of loud bangs following his experiences in Baghdad.

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About Syrian School

Despite rarely finding itself out of the headlines, the Middle East is frequently misunderstood. Syrian School goes beyond the clichés to meet the human face of a fast growing young population, whose government is modernizing the education system to encourage a generation of children able to think for themselves. This unique series looks at a fascinating country through the eyes of its schoolchildren, their families and their teachers.