Schools in the northern Syrian city of Manbij have been closed for the seventh consecutive day as teachers and students continue their strike in protest against new educational programs imposed by the local autonomous administration of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The strike, which began last week, is fueled by demands from teachers and families for the cancellation of the new curriculum and a return to the previous educational framework. However, the autonomous administration has yet to respond to these calls.

Critics of the new curriculum argue that it does not align with the region's religious values, customs, ethics, and Islamic culture. Local sources suggest that the administration is considering the possibility of reverting to the old educational programs in response to the ongoing unrest.

On Friday, demonstrations erupted in Manbij, located east of Aleppo, where residents expressed their opposition to the PYD administration's education policies.

Mahmoud Alo, a Syrian Kurdish human rights activist, has raised concerns about the education program enforced by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan, describing it as rigorous and alleging that it encourages students to join the Women's Defense Units. He also claims that the curriculum prompts children to defy their families under the guise of promoting the women's revolution.

As tensions mount, it remains unclear how the local administration will respond to the ongoing protests and demands for change in the educational system.