DAMASCUS: Syria`s education minister on Thursday sought to minimise curriculum changes announced this week by the new government, after activists denounced them as `extremist` and potentially harmful to religious minorities.

The amendments were announced on Wednesday on the Facebook page of the interim leadership`s education ministry, a little under a month since forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

The changes include scrapping poetry relating to women and love. The national anthem has also been removed from textbooks, with the ministry describing it as `the (Assad) regime`s anthem`.

And the nationalistic phrase `to sacrifice one`s life in defence of his homeland` has been replaced with `to sacrifice one`s life for the sake of Allah`.

Education Minister Nazir al-Qadri, in a statement shared on Telegram on Thursday, said the changes were only meant to scrap `glorifying` references to the deposed president and correct misinterpretations of the Holy Quran.

`The curricula in all Syrian schools will remain as is until specialised committees are formed to review and audit` them, he said.

`We have only ordered the deletion of parts glorifying the defunct Assad regime, and we have adopted pictures of the Syrian Revolution flag instead of the defunct regime flag,` Qadri said. The changes have sparked controversy, with many taking to social media to express outrage.

Activist and journalist Shiyar Khaleal lambasted the changes in a Facebook post, warning that `education based on extremist ideologies may shape individuals whose ideas threaten regional and international security`. The new authorities face the daunting task of rebuilding state institutions shaped by the Assad family`s five-decade rule, but some Syrians have voiced concerns that they may be overstepping their interim capacity.

`Changing the curriculum under the supervision of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is not just an educational danger, but a long-term threat to the social fabric and future of Syria,` said Khaleal.-AFP