Sweida students blocked from exams as UN raises concern

Armed factions in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida province blocked students from travelling to official exams on Saturday, prompting the United Nations to call for children to be able to access education without pressure or movement restrictions.

The Syrian authorities had scheduled an exam session in the government-controlled north of Sweida province for students who were unable to take the test two months earlier because of continuing tensions.

Druze fighters in Shahba, north of Sweida city, said on Friday that all roads were closed to students and proctors heading to examination centres outside the area. They demanded that the tests be held in areas they control instead, citing security concerns.

Sweida governor Mustafa al-Bakkur condemned the move, saying armed groups were using students' futures as a political bargaining chip. He said around 150 students were still able to sit their exams, including some who had left Druze-controlled areas days earlier to avoid obstacles.

An 18-year-old student told AFP she was on a bus in Sweida city waiting for the road to open when an armed group arrived and threatened students. She said some faction members fired shots into the air after students insisted on travelling north. She asked not to be named because she feared for her safety.

Syria's education ministry said it regretted that not all students were able to reach the examination centres.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Marianne Ward said the United Nations was concerned by Saturday's developments. She called on all relevant stakeholders to ensure that children, with support from caregivers, could exercise their right to education without pressure or disruption of movement.

Sweida city and other parts of the southern province are run by local armed groups and remain outside the control of Syria's new Islamist authorities, who came to power after Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024.

Tensions have continued since clashes in July 2025 between Druze factions and Bedouin fighters, during which security forces intervened on the side of the Bedouins along with other tribal groups. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 2,000 people were killed, including 789 Druze civilians. A Syrian government committee said it had documented 1,760 killings.