In the southern reaches of Idlib, Syria, a region once at the forefront of the civil war, families are slowly making their way back to their villages after enduring years in exile. The return of these displaced individuals is tightly linked to the repair and reopening of battered schools, yet almost a year after former President Bashar Assad was overthrown in a rebel offensive, hundreds of these educational buildings remain dilapidated.
The harsh reality is that millions of Syrian children are out of school, while others are forced to learn within the skeletal remains of school buildings, devoid of basic necessities. The experience of Safiya al-Jurok and her family exemplifies this struggle. They fled Maar Sharamin five years ago when Assad's military seized control, but after his ousting last December, they returned. Today, they reside in a tent beside the ruins of their destroyed home.
Amidst adversity, the local elementary school reopened last month, and al-Jurok's three children, enrolled in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, attend classes there. The L-shaped school building tells a story of conflict, with bullet-riddled walls and peeling paint. Inside, students make do without windows or glass, sitting cross-legged on thin blankets, and using their knees to balance notebooks. Al-Jurok expresses concern over the broken windows, especially with the rainy season approaching, and notes the lack of running water.
Abdullah Hallak, the school's principal, explains that nearly all infrastructure was looted — from desks to doors to steel reinforcements — during the community's absence. “Our children are in a tough spot, without basic seating or boards, and winter adds to their woes,” Hallak tells The Associated Press. Some parents choose to keep their children at home to prevent them from falling ill, given the harsh conditions.
The challenge of rebuilding Syria's education infrastructure is monumental. Deputy Education Minister Youssef Annan highlights that 40% of schools across the country remain devastated, particularly in rural Idlib and Hama, zones that witnessed intense combat during Syria's 14-year conflict. In Idlib alone, 350 schools sit in disrepair, with only a fraction rehabilitated. He acknowledges the extensive effort needed to rebuild these institutions, noting the pervasive looting that stripped many schools of their essential materials.
An emergency education plan was unveiled alongside the new school year in mid-September, aimed at managing the influx of returnee students. Yet, Annan admits that launching a remote learning initiative, seen as a solution to broaden educational access, requires more time.
Currently, about 4 million students are attending school across Syria, but another 2.5 to 3 million children are not in the classroom, says Meritxell Relaño Arana, UNICEF's Syria representative. In many cases, children lack the financial means to purchase educational supplies, putting stress on families like al-Jurok’s. She notes that her eldest daughter, a bright and eager learner, is hindered by the inability to buy books.
At Maar Shamarin Elementary, the demand for education outpaces capacity, with around 450 students enrolled, but no room for more. Teacher Bayan al-Ibrahim points out that many students are academically lagging due to prolonged displacement, often in areas where education was inaccessible or neglected. She remarks on the difficulty of maintaining order without proper seating or learning materials, and the challenge parents face in supporting their children's education due to a lack of resources.
While UNICEF endeavors to mend the educational landscape through school reconstruction, temporary classrooms, and teacher training, the task is daunting. With over a million refugees repatriating, the need becomes ever more pressing. Beyond restoring physical structures, these schools play a vital role in the emotional and psychological healing of a war-torn generation.Many children, scarred by conflict, require a return to safe learning environments where psychosocial support is available, and catch-up classes are essential for those who missed years of schooling.
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