RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Education Board affiliated with the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES) decided, on August 29, to postpone the opening of schools for the 2020-2021 academic year until the fourth of next October.
Students’ parents in Syria’s northern city of Raqqa had different opinions on the postponement, whether for or against opening of schools.
Yasser al-Abdullah, a resident of Raqqa city, said that the decision to postpone the opening of schools was not in the interest of students, especially as it includes private centers.
He added that scientific subjects need practical lessons, and more than theory in order for students to be able to understand the lessons, so communicating teachers by phone and virtual education is useless in these subjects.
Al-Abdullah, a father of two high school students, considers the decision an obstacle to educate his children, as a result of a lack of communication with their teachers.
The decision to postpone the school year, which was announced by the Education Board of AANES, included the closure of so-called enrichment centers. However, some of those centers did not abide by the decision after the lifting of the lockdown in the region a few days ago.
Al-Abdullah called for private schools and reinforcement centers to remain open, while imposing preventive and physical distancing and adhering to the conditions of hygiene and sterilization.
Khalaf al-Matar, co-chair of the Education Committee in Raqqa, said that some private schools in Raqqa did not abide by the decision of the Education Board of AANES.
He added that these centers, despite their violation of the ban, did not abide by the health requirements of applying physical distancing and adhering to means of prevention, so the Office of Special Education in the Education Committee in Raqqa warned the owners of the centers.
An appropriate decision
Hussam al-Mustafa, the father of three children in primary school, believes that the decision to postpone the opening of schools was very appropriate, especially at this stage.
Al-Mustafa said that schools should not be allowed to be opened until the epidemic recedes, since there was an increase in coronavirus cases in the region.
Some families are afraid to become infected from their children, who may contract the virus from their schoolmates.
According to the Health Board in the AANES, the latest figures for the spread of coronavirus in AANES has reached 624 infections, including 40 deaths and 158 recoveries.
The Education Board in AANES considers the decision to postpone schools opening as a sensitive decision because of its repercussions and consequences. “It could be catastrophic if it was opened before the virus receded in the region,” according to officials in the Education Board.
Rajab al-Mushrif, co-chair of the Education Board in AANES, said that the decision to postpone the opening of schools is subject to renewal and amendment, according to the health situation in the region.
“In case of the recession of the coronavirus outbreak in the region, schools will be opened on the date that has been set, with the continuation of the implementation of preventative measures,” according to al-Mushrif.
The number of students in schools in northeast Syria exceeds 820,000, distributed among more than 4,000 schools, according to the Education Board.
Measures and warnings
Al-Mushrif said that Dividing each class’s students into two groups was among the measures implemented to prevent coronavirus’ spread in schools, in order to reach the lowest possible number of students within each class.
He added that the education committees in the various regions of AANES were directed to continuing virtual education programs to compensate students for lost schooling during the school break.