This article originally appeared at The Daily Mail:
ISIS extremists have cancelled all classes except religious studies in Syrian schools – with even the two-times table banned in its new curriculum.
Militants have closed all schools in the eastern area of the country pending a religious revision of the syllabus to replace the current ‘infidel’ education, it has been revealed.
Activists in the area say ISIS has attempted to justify the move by claiming that ‘all knowledge belongs to the creator’.
Islamic State has been tightening its rules on civilian life in Deir al-Zor province, which fell under near-complete control ofthe Islamist group this summer.
The government still controls a military air base and other small pockets.
The announcement came after Islamic State held a meeting with school administrators at a local mosque on the outskirts of Deir al-Zor city, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors all sides of the conflict.
‘Islamic State informed them that teachers shall undergo a religious instructional course for one month, and that Islamic State officials were currently developing a new curriculum instead of the current ‘infidel’ education,’ the Observatory statement said.
At the start of the academic year in September, Islamic State revised the school curriculum in areas it controls, eliminating physics and chemistry while promoting Islamic teachings.
Their latest move aims to further reduce the school day into several hours of religious learning at the expense of academic subjects, according to local activists.