400 schools close their doors, depriving children of education

Deadly conflict in Syria meant that as many as 400 schools had to close their doors, depriving children of education

The deadly Syrian conflict is making the maintainance of a functioning educational process in the war-torn country even more difficult, as over a million children have been displaced due to the fighting.

Fierce fighting in the country has meant that as many as 400 schools have had to close their doors, depriving local children of an education.

According to government figures, more than 100 teachers have been killed during recent violence nationwide, while 35 children have been killed as a result of attacks on schools and buses.

A shortage of transportation has also meant it has been near impossible to get text books and stationery to all the schools and expectant parents.

"we've got books in summer and we've got as many books as the number of students we have. Although we are receiving new kids because some schools were closed, we still got books even for the new students," said Soaad Khalaf, teacher of a primary school in Damascus.

Before 2011, Syria had one of the highest rates for literacy in the Middle East thanks to its state-sponsored education system that went right through to university level. However, that standard has become hard for the country to maintain today.

"Education must go on and this is why we are open. We started on schedule and nothing will stop the learning process in Syria. We will overcome the dangerous circumstances just by showing up to school. We will overcome the crisis, nothing will stop us. And we will work with the students and we will get there," said Abdulkarim Abdullah, principal of local primary school in Damascus.

Out of security concerns, lots of families have been reluctant to send their children back to school.

Syria in partnership with UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) has recently launched a campaign aimed at supporting students, their parents and schools to alleviate some of the persistent fears.

"I love school and I like seeing all my friends here," said Issa, a student from local primary school in Damascus.

However, even with the backing of the worldwide body, the students are still facing harsh conditions while risking security threats in schools, as some of them located only five kilometers away from fighting and shelling, according to local school authorities.