By Qays al-Hamoud
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Ali al-Hamoud expressed his concerns about sending his daughters to the nearby school, fearing for them, as the school is located near the main route and it lacks fences.
Al-Hamoud, 40, a resident of the village of Ratla, south of the city of Raqqa, northern Syria, said that the school has no fences, although it is only a few meters away from the main route.
Villages in the southern countryside of Raqqa suffer from a shortage of renovated schools due to many of which have been partially or completely destroyed, causing overcrowding in classrooms in the renovated parts of the schools.
Raqqa and its countryside suffered damage during the expulsion of the Islamic State (ISIS) from Raqqa by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to media reports, the extent of the damage to the city reached 80 percent.
Because of this matter, al-Hamoud considers not to send his daughters to the school due to the potential risks.
He advises them to stay away from the main route and not go near it, stating, “I will continue to guard them and other students”.
Al-Hamoud says the situation of the school is “miserable”, urging the relevant authorities to repair it as much as possible. “At least, a fence should be built to protect students from cars passing on the main route”, he said.
Schools in the southern countryside of Raqqa are affiliated with al-Kasrat Educational Office, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), which includes 46 schools, eight of them are preparatory schools, two are kindergartens, three are completely destroyed schools, an equal number is partially destroyed and two are inactive.
The number of fully renovated schools is six, and 13 others are partially renovated, with approximately 11,500 students. The office is served by 637 teachers.
According to Nouri al-Turkan, an administrator at al-Ghouta School in the village of Kasret Afnan, south of Raqqa, “The school does not protect students from winter cold due to its deteriorating structure, affected by moisture and cracks in walls and windows.”
“The school’s situation is miserable due to battles, exacerbated by the earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey in early February”, he added.
The administrator said the school poses a danger to students and needs urgent renovation, particularly because it has not been repaired since 2017. He also stressed that the school is located on the main route without protective fences for students.
Al-Turkan said the school includes over a thousand students each year.
He noted the school lacks many necessary recreational and educational means to complete the academic stage.
Schools in Raqqa lack the means for the educational process, along with deteriorating sanitary facilities in most schools.
Ahmad al-Khalil, teacher at Joul Jamal School in the village of Ratla, fears for the students in the school which is nearly destroyed.
He says that his concerns come from the uncontrollable number of students in the schoolyard, as he fears that the destroyed parts of the building may collapse.
He emphasizes the need to renovate the school, considering the high overcrowding of students in classrooms and the necessity of opening a preparatory school in the village.
Abdulkarim al-Hamoud, principal of al-Zubeir School in the same village, calls for building a fence around the school due to its location between four roads, including one connecting Aleppo, northwest Syria, and Deir ez-Zor, eastern the country.
He states that the school needs extensive renovation, including doors, windows and electrical wiring that have been cut off since 2017, as well as painting walls, providing seats and all necessary school supplies.
Last year, Khalaf al-Matar, Co-chair of the Education Committee in Raqqa Civil Council, affiliated with the AANES, mentioned that 27 schools were completely destroyed in the city and 31 in the countryside, while 122 other schools needed renovation.
He added that overcrowded classrooms hinder the educational process, with up to 70 students in each class.