Thousands of Eastern Ghouta Children Back to School

DAMASCUS COUNTRYSIDE, (ST)- More than 12,000 students have returned to schools in the Eastern Ghouta towns of Saqaba and Kafr Batna as well as in other schools in temporary housing centers following a period of stop because of the terrorism of the armed groups which have recently witnessed a humiliating defeat after the wide scale military operation carried out by the Syrian Arab army to liberated Eastern Ghouta from terrorism and restore security to its cities and towns.

Terrorist groups, which had had positioned in Eastern Ghouta, tried to hinder the government education process there and impose their own curricula. They succeeded in forcing several schools to stop education, while failed to halt the process in other schools because of locals’ strong will to continue educating their children.

 According to the Education Directorate of Damascus Countryside, the Education Ministry on Monday opened  four schools in Kafr Batna and two others in Saqba following rehabilitation works to help the education process continue. Earlier, the ministry opened schools in the make-shift centers in al-Horjelah and al-Doueir towns to enable the children staying there to resume their study.

Abdelkader Amouri, Head of Basic Education Department of Damascus Countryside Directorate, clarified to SANA that 1350 students have returned to Kafr Batna School, 175 students to Hafez al-Zahabi School and 750 students to Saqba School.  Som 8000 students also joined study at al-Horjelah accommodation center’s School while 1240 students joined the process at al-Doueir accommodation center’s School.

Within the coming 15 days, three schools will be rehabilitated and opened in Harasta, according to Amouri who pointed out that the rehabilitation of schools with minor and moderate damage in Eastern Ghouta is also underway.

The Education Ministry has made steps to address the needs of the students in Ghouta who were studying the official curriculum and to compensate for the classes they missed, Amouri said, adding that the ministry will also hold crash courses to prepare students of basic education and high school certificates to final exam.

In parallel, psychosocial support and recreational activities will also be carried out by the Education Ministry to alleviate the impacts of war on students.

Hamda Mustafa