(Zaman Al Wasl)- About 30,000 students have returned to classes in northeastern Syria after a shutdown followed the Turkish military operation last October, a local official told Zaman al-Wasl Monday.
Yasser Shalit, director Education Office in Tel Abyad Council, said that 277 schools have recently resumed their functions, including 167 schools in Suluk, 70 in Tel Abyad, and 40 in Ain Issa, with the Education Office approving 157 among them and for their teachers to receive salaries. He added that in March, payments would include all schools in Tel Abyad, noting that books will be delivered to about 7,000 students, with more coming this week to the schools of Suluk and Ain Issa. On January 8, the Education Office supplied textbooks to middle school students at Tel Abyad Preparatory School.
Ankara's campaign in October, the so-called Operation Peace, drew widespread international criticism and the U.S. was seen as abandoning the Kurdish force that had helped fight ISIS (Daesh). Two ceasefires, brokered by the U.S. and Russia, required the Kurdish force to withdraw away from the Turkish border for Turkey to halt its offensive. Joint Russian and Turkish patrols were established.
Abu Mustafa Mohamed, a teacher, said that the education office shows favoritism in appointing teachers, with experienced teachers not being appointed. He also said that the decision not to appoint more than one teacher from one family, is not being implemented in one of the city's schools. Mustafa described Yasser Shalit as "the most corrupt" in the council, for his nepotism and favoritism in appointing some of the teachers.
According to UNICEF, through the war-torn country, more than one in three schools are damaged or destroyed, while others are used for purposes not related to education such as shelter for displaced people.
Zaman Al Wasl
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