0:00:02 > 0:00:06Damascus, Syria. The oldest capital city on earth,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09in the heart of the Arab world.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Following a year in the lives of four schools in Damascus,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17we look at Syria's next generation.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19What is life really like
0:00:19 > 0:00:22in this high-pressure crossroads of the Middle East?
0:00:24 > 0:00:26There are signs that Syria is opening up,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29but it remains dominated by a single party
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and Syrians have limited political freedom.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41In this programme, opportunities for self-expression can be narrow,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45but poetry writing is one way that girls at Zaki Al-Arsuzi High School
0:00:45 > 0:00:48get to voice their thoughts and feelings.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Ala'a's hoping her love poems are good enough
0:00:57 > 0:01:00for the big stage at this year's writers' showcase.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And at the primary school, it's exam time.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Wassim's ambition
0:01:10 > 0:01:12is to beat his nerves and his best friend
0:01:12 > 0:01:15to come top of the class.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's late autumn in Damascus.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59In the affluent area of al-Mazraa,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03the autumn term is well underway at Zaki Al-Arsuzi High School.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Exercise five, page 25.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Say "Why?" or "Why not?"
0:02:08 > 0:02:13If you think it's true, say, "Why?" and if you don't think it's true, say "Why not?"
0:02:19 > 0:02:21BELL RINGS
0:02:28 > 0:02:33Zaki Al-Arsuzi is home to 1,200 girls between the ages of 15 and 18.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39It's run by headteacher Amal Hassan.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I am here for the girls.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47I am here to treat them like they are my family.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49I love them as if they are my children.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10First-year students Nour, Lemiss and Mahum
0:03:10 > 0:03:13have ambitious plans for their future.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Nour and Lemiss's favourite teacher is Mr Mohanned,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38who takes them for Arabic five times a week.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Most lessons in Syria are based around learning from set textbooks,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55but Mr Mohanned has his own style.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Mr Mohanned teaches the rich tradition of Arabic poetry
0:04:42 > 0:04:44as part of the national curriculum.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10But creating their own poems isn't part of the syllabus,
0:05:10 > 0:05:15so Mr Mohanned runs an innovative extracurricular poetry writers' club.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Both Nour and Lemiss are members.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02In three weeks' time,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Mr Mohanned is putting on a special writers' showcase.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08It's a chance for a hand-picked number of the girls
0:06:08 > 0:06:14to perform their own poems in front of a panel of established Syrian writers and ministry officials,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17as well as hundreds of family and friends.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Today the club is meeting
0:06:19 > 0:06:23to come up with a suitably poetic title to sum up the event,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26and Mr Mohanned has invited the headteacher to help.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18With all the suggested titles on the board,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Mr Mohanned takes a vote for the one they think is best.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28But two titles have tied with 11 votes each.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32It's between Ala'a's suggestion, Tales from a Lover's Notebook,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and headteacher Amal Hassan's title, A Ray of Hope.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06One of the keenest members of the poetry writers' club
0:09:06 > 0:09:08is 16-year-old Ala'a Assaf.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Although Ala'a's title, Tales from a Lover's Notebook, wasn't chosen,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46it's a subject that inspires her poetry.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03For some sections of Syrian society,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07talking to boys in person can be seen as improper,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09but many boys and girls have friendships
0:10:09 > 0:10:11using their mobile phones.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Over the summer, Ala'a had a telephone friendship
0:10:14 > 0:10:17with a boy she had admired from afar,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19but when they finally saw each other in person,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22the boy said he wasn't interested in Ala'a after all.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Mleiha is a small suburb on the outskirts of Damascus.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Mleiha Rural Primary School takes boys from 6 to 11.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55It's run by headteacher Soha Inglesi.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Most primary schools in Syria are mixed,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06but unusually, Mleiha Rural School is just for boys.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Soha Inglesi has been working here for over 27 years
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and has seen the school grow and grow.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42With so many students, the school operates a double-shift system,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45with half the students and teachers coming in the morning...
0:12:49 > 0:12:52..and the other half coming in the afternoon.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57But today, the school has gathered to celebrate the anniversary
0:12:57 > 0:13:00of the National Reform Movement with a special assembly.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Learning to love your country and your rulers
0:13:24 > 0:13:27is an integral part of school life in Syria.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34The president is Dr Bashar al-Assad,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and once every seven years, he stands unopposed
0:13:36 > 0:13:40in a national referendum to receive his people's support.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Serious opposition to the government isn't tolerated
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and can lead to imprisonment.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Today's festival commemorates the country's Corrective Movement
0:13:52 > 0:13:55and Bashar's father taking power in 1970.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56The country's Ministry of Education sets a national curriculum
0:14:56 > 0:14:58which is followed by every school in Syria.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01B. B.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03C.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Very good.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Hurry up.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09C. Very good. D. E.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Because it's in a semi-rural area,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Mleiha Rural School has a special emphasis on agriculture,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17complete with its own small farm
0:15:17 > 0:15:21and a dedicated agriculture teacher, Mr Bashash.
0:15:21 > 0:15:2411-year old Wassim is in his final year at primary school.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Once a week, he has a lesson in the field.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Wassim's dad is a tailor.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08Like many people in the area, he owns a small plot of farmland near the family home.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12After work, he takes Wassim, his sister and a friend with him
0:17:12 > 0:17:14to the family field.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36But in recent years, poor rainfall has hit the land hard.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39At Zaki Al-Arsuzi, Arabic teacher Mr Mohanned
0:18:39 > 0:18:42has asked the girls in the poetry club to submit their best poems
0:18:42 > 0:18:45for the upcoming writers' showcase.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Being chosen for the event would allow the girls to express themselves publicly,
0:18:49 > 0:18:54but Mr Mohanned will only select ten girls to perform their work.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Keen poets Nour and Lemiss are hoping to be chosen,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01but they're still working on their poems.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Ala'a has handed in two poems.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36Meanwhile, she's decided to put her telephone friendship behind her.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59At the primary school,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01they're getting ready for the mid-term exams.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05SHE SPEAKS IN ARABIC
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Regular testing is an important part of the curriculum in Syria.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Primary school pupils take exams six times a year.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Last month, Wassim came in joint second place
0:22:01 > 0:22:02with his friend Abdullah.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06This time, they're both determined to come out on top.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30BELL RINGS
0:22:45 > 0:22:48After school, Wassim studies with help from his mum.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Once he's finished studying, Wassim attends his local mosque,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17where he's learning how to memorise the Qu'ran.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35THEY SPEAK IN ARABIC
0:23:47 > 0:23:48In between practice,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Wassim's teacher talks to the boys about their studies.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54# We will, we will rock you... #
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Today, keen poets Nour and Lemiss are going on a school trip.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08The excursion has been organised
0:25:08 > 0:25:11as an extracurricular activity outside normal lessons.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19They are visiting a national monument on the outskirts of Damascus,
0:25:19 > 0:25:24commemorating Syria's role in the October War of 1973.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29In the war, a coalition of Arab nations including Syria
0:25:29 > 0:25:34launched an attack on Israel to win back territories occupied in 1967.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38In Israel, it's known as the Yom Kippur War.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42The panorama painting at the centre of the monument
0:25:42 > 0:25:44depicts a key battle at the start of the conflict
0:25:44 > 0:25:47as Syrian forces retook the town of Quneitra.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It's the first time the school has visited the site.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Headteacher Amal Hassan is accompanying the girls.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02It is not for the tourists.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06It is for our country. They have to see everything in our country.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08It is new, and they have to see what they are...
0:26:08 > 0:26:11what the government is doing, what their country is doing.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14So it is a very good experience for them.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Despite winning back some territory, including the city of Quneitra,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Syria did not regain control of the Golan Heights,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02which remain occupied by Israel.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08In recent years, on-off indirect talks between Syria and Israel
0:27:08 > 0:27:11haven't been able to resolve the return of the Golan Heights.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18They remain a key sticking point.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Outside, the tour becomes more obviously nationalistic.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24The politically-charged language has made an impact on poet Lemiss.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11But back at school,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14writing about the October War hasn't come easily to Lemiss.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Lemiss needs to hand in her poem
0:29:31 > 0:29:34if she's to be considered for the writers' showcase.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37But the poetry festival isn't the only big event
0:29:37 > 0:29:39in the autumn calendar at Zaki Al-Arsuzi.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45With temperatures in the city dropping,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48the school sports season is getting underway,
0:29:48 > 0:29:53and the girls' basketball team are in training for the Damascus championships.
0:30:08 > 0:30:1217-year-old Samara is a science major in the 11th grade.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00The girls on the basketball team are a close-knit group.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Tonight, they're getting together on their own at a cafe
0:31:03 > 0:31:06to celebrate a team member's 16th birthday.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10# Set me free
0:31:11 > 0:31:13# Set me free... #
0:31:17 > 0:31:20They've been a group of friends for years.
0:31:47 > 0:31:53After qualifying for the city finals, they're hoping to make their school proud.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42At the primary school, it's exam time.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51OK, boys.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Turn the page.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57For the next week, everyone from the ages of 6 to 11
0:32:57 > 0:32:59will sit an exam in each of their subjects.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Friends Wassim and Abdullah
0:33:11 > 0:33:13will need to perform better than everyone else
0:33:13 > 0:33:16if they're to come top.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Wassim and Abdullah will be told their results
0:34:04 > 0:34:07in front of the whole school in a week's time.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16The Damascus city sports finals are in sight.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22The school has invested in a new red kit for the basketball team.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30Samara and the team are spending all their free lessons on court.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Samara lives five minutes' walk from the school
0:34:58 > 0:35:04in a four bedroom apartment with her mum, dad, two younger brothers and sister.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11This photo's when I was a little girl.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Here, I was in my old home.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18I born in America.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20My dad was working there.
0:35:20 > 0:35:27I like the life there but all my friends are here in Syria.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Those are my family.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Cousins, father, mother, my grandmother, my grandfather.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41This is my book.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46Samara keeps a written diary but like many young people in Syria,
0:35:46 > 0:35:50the internet is an increasingly important part of her life.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54I have friends in Italy, I contact on the internet.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58I go to MSN Messenger, OK,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01and I get their emails
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and we start talking about chatting.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Then we have a mic and webcam, everything.
0:36:08 > 0:36:14This page is talking about what I'm going to do when I finish my school
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and my study. I want to continue playing basketball and...
0:36:19 > 0:36:21..play in the NBA.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Mr Mohanned has decided which of the girls will feature
0:36:44 > 0:36:47in the upcoming writers' showcase.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50He's asked the selected students to meet him in the science lab.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Both Nour and Ala'a have been chosen.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20But Lemiss hasn't been asked to join them.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33It's time for the girls to get some advice on how to perform their poems.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40The Damascus sports finals are taking place in a private sports club in the north of the city.
0:38:49 > 0:38:56Over three days, the qualifying teams are competing for trophies in volleyball, handball and basketball.
0:39:05 > 0:39:11So far, Samara and the team have won two games and lost one.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Now, everything rests on tomorrow's final match.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22It's eight in the morning. Before leaving school,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Samara talks the team through the tactics for the big match.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42It's a 20 minute bus ride to the sports centre...
0:39:44 > 0:39:47..a final chance for the team to get psyched up before the match.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42The top five basketball teams in Damascus have all played each other.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Now it all comes down to this final game.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47The team coach gathers the girls together.
0:40:50 > 0:40:56But they're up against a school that beat them by 30 points last year.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Both teams get off to a good start and by the first time-out,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31there's just a point between them.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47But as the teams tire, things start to get tougher.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59The opposition make good on a series of penalties and establish a five-point lead.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11Zaki Al-Arsuzi's reds keep scoring baskets but can't seem to narrow the gap.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19By the fourth quarter, Samara and the girls still haven't been able to catch up.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27But a foul in the scoring area gives Zaki Al-Arsuzi a chance.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Hibah has got two shots at the basket.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47The coach calls a time-out.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17With minutes to go, Zaki Al-Arsuzi raise their game.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Now they need just two more baskets.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Seconds to go.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Zaki Al-Arsuzi need just one more hoop to take the title.
0:45:17 > 0:45:22At Mleiha Rural School, the exam results are ready.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26It's time for Wassim and Abdullah to find out who's come out on top.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17In all, four students have joined Abdullah in second position
0:46:17 > 0:46:20and three students have tied in the third spot.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26But no one got as many marks as Wassim.
0:47:53 > 0:47:58At Zaki Al-Arsuzi, final preparations are under way for the poetry festival.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07INAUDIBLE SPEECH
0:50:04 > 0:50:07It's the day of the writers' showcase
0:50:07 > 0:50:11and Mr Mohanned is making some last minute changes.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29There's also an eleventh hour reprieve for Lemiss.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12The hall is filling up with parents and friends.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21Nour, Lemiss and Ala'a are just minutes from their first public recital.
0:51:25 > 0:51:30Both Ala'a's mum and Nour's dad have come to see their daughters perform.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40The panel of ministry officials, famous Syrian literary figures and poets,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43have arrived to listen and critique the girls' work.
0:52:07 > 0:52:15To start things off, Amal Hassan addresses the audience with a piece of her own creative writing.
0:55:32 > 0:55:38THEY SPEAK IN ARABIC
0:55:50 > 0:55:51A peaceful world
0:55:51 > 0:55:53No killing, no screaming
0:55:53 > 0:55:55A world without wars Everyone's dreaming
0:55:57 > 0:55:59A world without weapons Without fears
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Without suffering Without tears
0:56:02 > 0:56:04A world where everyone loves the other
0:56:04 > 0:56:07No matter nationalities, countries or the colour
0:56:07 > 0:56:10A world where everyone treats the other
0:56:10 > 0:56:12Like a human being, like a brother.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15APPLAUSE
0:56:20 > 0:56:26With the performances complete, the judges offer individual feedback on the girls' writing.
0:57:24 > 0:57:31Sometimes a society prevents you from expressing yourself -
0:57:31 > 0:57:34the tradition, everything around you.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Sometimes it prevents you,
0:57:36 > 0:57:42but nothing prevents the other girls from speaking about what they want in this life.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45And their family, their parents were there,
0:57:45 > 0:57:51and they were very happy to see that their girls are speaking about love,
0:57:51 > 0:57:57about society, about...everything!
0:58:20 > 0:58:24Next time on Syrian School -
0:58:24 > 0:58:25getting the best out of the best.
0:58:25 > 0:58:29Chess champion Ward represents Damascus in Beirut.
0:58:29 > 0:58:32And to find out more from the Open University about life in Syria,
0:58:32 > 0:58:37go to...
0:58:49 > 0:58:53Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:53 > 0:58:57E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk