Refugee schools in Lebanon have no funds or support: activists

(Abdul Hafidh al-Houlani; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

The first day of school for Syrian children is not like others of different countries, as it is full of deprivation, neglect and suffering. 

Abo Alaa from Qalamoon, a father of 5 students stood in front of Arena library reading the list of prices, he had nothing to say but to ask for God’s help.

The total cost for a school bag with 4 Arabic books, an English book, a drawing book, a blue pen and a red pen, besides a pencil, a rubber and a sharpener reaches to almost $ 18 per a student. The price may vary depending on the quality of the materials and profits of libraries and the grade of the student. Added to that the cost of the taxi service to transfer students from their camps to schools, which reach to 10 thousand Lebanese pounds for a student monthly. 

The most popular and widespread schools in camps in Lebanon are the schools in tents. Refugee Saud al-Ersan compared these schools to the Sheikhs’ Kottab, as the school consists of a tent or more inside the camp, they focus on giving children religious lessons, memorizing and recitation of Koran and worship.

Al-Ersan explained that these schools do not follow the interim government or the National coalition nor any official or government, but mostly they follow the Emam of a mosque or charitable or supportive person from the Gulf or an association or so.

According to al-Ersan, teaching is often given by a Sheikh appointed by the camp management, or a woman to teach girls.

Somaya Ibrahim Haddad, a teacher from Homs confirmed to Zaman al- Wasl that teaching in these tents or “Koran schools” do not have certificates or experience or competencies to teach. She added that teachers give the religious sciences without a particular programme, but people apply to register their children with them because they are present inside the camp which save them the cost of transportation besides their pure religious curriculum. 

Mrs Amna, a housewife from the village of Eastern Bowedha in Holeh countryside explained to Zaman al-Wasl that these tents do not have good ventilation nor appropriate teaching aids nor even benches or chairs or toilets with water taps. 

Ali Rifai, a teacher from the city of Yabrud, refugees in the Lebanese town of Ersal told Zaman al-Wasl that many schools exist in the city adjacent to the Syrian border for all grades from the first to even the secondary third grade (baccalaureate) with staff of good teachers and Syrian administration. 

The most important schools of them according to Rifai: school of Hayah village, Sham School, Al-Azhar school, Martyrs’ Children school, school of Future girls, al-Amal School and the Sharea School.

Nasouh Hammoud, director of the school of Hayah village, explained that number of students reached to 1,100 of all levels, within a school building of 8 classrooms and administration.

He stressed that school staff have since last year not received salaries nor any other financial assistance by the National Coalition, although it belongs to it, pointing out that all teaching staff and administrative work voluntarily since last year. 

Hammoud pointed out that all difficult circumstances would not prevent the school staff from carrying on working voluntarily. But the matter does not stop on that level, as well as the lack of at least minimum salaries, there are problems like providing benches, stationery, blackboards besides lack of space, which forces the school to split the teaching time into 3 periods, besides the congestion inside the classroom because of school's inability to afford for renting or building new accommodation for schools. 

Hammoud mentioned that the majority of Syrian schools are buildings of the Lebanese people rented annually or were built by voluntary contributions.

A primary school teacher told Zaman al-Wasl that most Syrian schools in Lebanon try to find supporters to secure the continuation of the educational process which has been fought by the Syrian regime for generations. 

The teacher said that schools appeal associations and communicate with generous people of expatriates, traders and wealthy Syrians outside Lebanon to support schools, but those appeals rarely succeed. He expressed his anger for the situation they were put in as a result of the neglect of opposition institutions and coalition. 

Mahmoud Rihawi, a retired teacher from the city of Nabek said that the Syrians have fled from the corruption of the Syrian regime, but they found themselves under the corruption of their Syrian brothers.

Rihawi accused the interim government and the coalition, which represents a revolution, of acting according to double standards in dealings with the revolution’s sectors, especially education. 

From his side, Mohammad Mando, Director of the interim government’s office of Education in Lebanon said in an interview with Zaman al-Wasl that they provided books of the revised Syrian curriculum for all schools, pointing out that the office has also performed general examinations for the basic education and secondary grade and issuing official certificates to them, besides follow-up the drop-outs and other regulatory matters. 

In regard to salaries, especially for those who have not received any salary within two years, Mando confirmed that there was not salaries on monthly basis over the two years, but a grant of $200 was given during the academic year 2013/2014 for each teacher, pointing out that it had been delivered to all school principals in the presence of a ministerial committee, but a teacher denied that and stressed that he has not received any payment or grant. 

However this year 2014/1015, according to mando, no teacher in Ersal receive a penny except Azhar Ersal and secondary Sharea school, as they deliver partial support for teaching, wages and compensation for Examination costs. 

Mando added that they were able to secure partial support in coordination with donors in Lebanon for 6 schools in Lebanon."

Mando denied any relationship of the office of Education in the schools selection process and nomination to supporters such as the school of Martyrs’ children, pointing out that the role of the office is limited to studies of each school, while selection is the responsibility of the donor.

He said: "We offer all studies submitted to us from the educational committees to the donors, without excluding any school. We consider the schools at the border areas like Wadi Khaled and Ersal and Akroum top priorities”.

In regard to appointing teachers of secondary degree, while other teachers of University degree still without work, he stressed that there are schools not under the supervision of the office of Education, and they have no control on them however the office does not allow any deviation in the Examination process.