Rehabilitating Schools As More Children Return in Aleppo
UNHCR and partner PUI completed the rehabilitation of two schools as part of its response to empower education system and to support the student to return back to schools.
UNHCR, the UN Refugees Agency and partner Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) have successfully rehabilitated two school in Al Ansari in Aleppo ahead of the school year which begins next September.
The ongoing crisis in Syria has resulted in an increase of school dropouts mainly at the basic education level (grades 1-9) due to the partial or complete destruction of more than 5,000 schools, large scale displacement and increasing poverty rates.
“This is what UNHCR is trying to do by helping those who return to start a normal life again”
UNHCR and its partner PUI managed to fully rehabilitate the schools, fixing the walls and structures and installing 1100 school desk, 10 closets, 60 tables, 60 trash bins and two new bathrooms, also furnishing the teachers’ lounge. Plans are under way to create child-friendly spaces inside the schools, and support training courses for teachers, accelerated learning for student in the summer and after school hours to fill the education gap for the students who missed out on school due to the crisis.
“Aleppo city has witnessed large scale return of its people in 2017. More people are returning to their homes, we want them to return in safe conditions and with dignity.” Said Jorge De la Mota, Head of UNHCR Field Office in Aleppo,
“This is what UNHCR is trying to do by helping those who return to start a normal life again with their children by supporting the rehabilitation of the education system, rebuilding their homes and restoring their livelihoods.”
The schools have an important geographic location as they serve five neighborhoods in Aleppo ( Ansari, Zbdyeh, Mashhad, Sukari and Saif Al Douleh). This played a role in encouraging people to return to their homes and neighborhoods in these areas.
The first school is a secondary girls’ vocational one with a capacity of 500 students. The second is a primary school with 28 classrooms that can accommodate 1200 student per shift and with double shifts a day can serve up to 2400 student.
In this year’s plan, UNHCR will rehabilitate schools in Aleppo among, as thousands of families have returned to neighbourhoods like Al Ansari, Seif Al Douleh and Ansari Sharqi and Al Midan. It is estimated that 9784 individual has returned to Ansari area, 6400 individual has returned to Saif Al Douleh and 3800 individual has returned to Ansari Sharky.
Media contacts:
- In Syria, Firas Al-Khateeb, [email protected], +963 930 403 228
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