Type: Policy brief

Date: August 21, 2025

Summary

​This policy paper addresses the Syrian Ministry of Education's (MoE) challenge of unifying teacher salary scales. Currently, the MoE administers a number of salary scales based on a legacy division, which is seen as inefficient and a barrier to national unification. Previous attempts at reform have faced political opposition. The paper proposes a six-step pathway to establish a single national salary scale. This pathway is designed to efficiently target resources to improve educational outcomes while remaining politically feasible.

Key findings outline a six-step process, divided into three phases:

• Phase 1: Preparation

  • Step 1: Focus on Fairness over Uniformity: The MoE should commit to equity rather than uniform salaries, allowing resources to flow to areas and teachers needing the most support. This involves publishing a "Salary Principles Note" and communicating the importance of fairness.

  • Step 2: Consider Salary & Non-Salary Benefits Together: The MoE should integrate salary discussions with other benefits, such as professional development, improved terms and conditions, professional recognition, and access to public services (e.g., subsidised healthcare, transport, housing), to create a comprehensive compensation package.

• Phase 2: Negotiation

  • Step 3: Segment Teacher Cohorts and Address Each Separately: The teaching workforce should be divided into 5-10 strategic segments based on geographical area, contract status, qualifications and experience, conflict-affected backgrounds, and vulnerable/special categories. This allows for tailored support and dialogue.

  • Step 4: Work in Partnership with Teacher Unions: The MoE should negotiate primarily with teacher unions to reach agreements on benefits and salary issues. This includes establishing a joint salary reform committee and adopting a communication protocol for consistent information sharing.

• Phase 3: Implementation

  1. Step 5: Phase the Reform Gradually: A multi-year timeline for gradual salary scale changes should be developed and published. This involves providing transitional incentives (e.g., time-bound, donor-funded allowances), tapering benefits for new recruits, and progressively narrowing salary gaps.

  2. Step 6: Update the Law: New legislation should be enacted to formalise the new salary scale and benefits, and existing laws and regulations should be amended to ensure alignment, consistency, and long-term sustainability of the reforms.

By adopting this methodical and collaborative approach, the MoE can overcome past challenges, successfully unify teacher salaries, and ultimately improve the quality of education across Syria.