Education resumes in over half of Raqqa schools used as IDP shelters
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – An official of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said on Monday that classes have resumed in more than half of the schools in the countryside of Raqqa, northern Syria, that were converted into shelters for displaced people.
Following a military operation launched by Turkish forces and affiliated armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), approximately 100,000 people were displaced from Tel Rifaat and al-Shahba to northeastern Syria. Many of them took refuge in schools across Raqqa, al-Tabqa, and Hasakah.
Ismail al-Ahmad, spokesperson for the Education Committee within the Education Board in Raqqa, told North Press that displaced families began arriving in Raqqa on Dec. 8, 2024, during the final weeks of the first semester. Their arrival prompted the conversion of school buildings into temporary shelters, leading to a suspension of educational activities.
“Eighty-four schools in Raqqa city and its countryside were turned into shelters, which disrupted the learning process for the final 20 days of the semester,” al-Ahmad explained.
He added that with partial stabilization in the region, many displaced individuals have either relocated to other areas in northeastern Syria or returned to cities such as Aleppo and Afrin. As a result, 44 of the previously occupied schools have been evacuated and reopened for classes, while 42 schools remain in use as shelters.
Raqqa and its surrounding areas have a total of 406 schools, including 73 schools inside the city operating on a double-shift system. The rest are located in rural areas.
Al-Ahmad noted that schools in the countryside have fully resumed operations and that the Education Board has devised two contingency plans to compensate for the learning loss.
Al-Ahmad added that around 26,000 students were deprived of education during the final weeks of the semester. Some have since enrolled in alternative schools, while others are still awaiting the reopening of their original institutions.