(Eqtsad)- The academic year has started in liberated areas of Syria for the sixth time under progressively difficult economic, humanitarian and living conditions.
Jamal al-Saleh, Head of Education office in Daraa council commented on the matter saying: “this academic year has started with huge difficulties, at several aspects of the education process, the most important problem is lack of support and fund to launch the education process, besides huge shortage of teaching books and stationery.”
Al-Saleh added that the most important problem facing education process in liberated areas is lack of teaching staff due to displacement and seeking asylum outside the country, besides arresting by the regime at barriers even those who work in regime’s school. “The beginning of each month is a nightmare for most teachers due to fear of arrest when they go to receive their salaries.”
The head of Education office added that destruction of schools is another major problem facing teaching in opposition’s and regime’s areas, beside inability to refurbish them due to lack of fund. He added that shortage of students desks or lack of water and fuel for warming and other educational materials are other challenges.
Al-Saleh mentioned that teachers working in areas managed by the National Coalition do not receive salaries and most of the time they start working without any promise of payment, waiting for a body or authority to pay their wages. He added that families find difficulties in covering cost for preparing their children for school and buy requirements like books, bags, uniform and stationeries due to poverty and lack of support.
In regard to curriculum, Mohammed, an Educational advisor explained that it is almost the same in both liberated and regime’s areas with some modification in liberated areas to suit goals and principles of the Syrian revolution, besides omitting all materials talking about regime and al-Assad. He mentioned that subjects like Philosophy, music and art have been omitted.
Sarhan, a secondary school student told Eqtsad that he had obtained his grade-9 certificate from a National Coalition’s school an now he is studying in a school supported by the national Coalition as well, but he is worried about his future, as most universities do not accept the secondary certificate issued by the national Coalition. “what is next? How are we going to achieve our higher education in Syria later” wondered.
Saif, a student studied in regime’s school and had the secondary certificate from the regime’s Education ministry but still he was not able to apply for university because he was informed that he was wanted by the regime’s intelligence.
In a relevant content, Abo Mohammed, a farmer told Eqtsad that he was not able to afford the cost for teaching his 4 children therefore, he is thinking of not sending them to school this year for the mentioned reason, and for their safety as the regime warplanes returned to shelling the area.
Abdul-Razaq, a Geography teacher confirmed that the cost of preparing school requirements for one student exceeds SYP 10,000, and the situation this year was difficult because the beginning o school has coincided with Eid al-Adha and the month of “Moonah” in which people need to prepare food for winter, all that had overstretched people who are already suffering of difficult financial situation
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