A lack of a proper educational system is still absent in many camps in northern Syria. It forces children, who have not given up their dream to pursue an education, to walk hundreds of meters daily on unpaved roads, to reach the nearest schools.
As part of follow-up research by our teams, in cooperation with the Directorate of Education in Hama, it was found that more schools were needed within camps to provide children with the basic right to an education. In response to this, a school was opened in the Areba camp, a camp which was originally established by WATAN UK and is now overcrowded with displaced people. The school consisted of 10 classrooms and two administration rooms along with utilities, water, and sanitation services. Classrooms and administrative rooms were furnished with benches, blackboards, tables, chairs, etc. This project aims to ease access to formal education services for children in the camps and to also increase the incentive for families to re-enrol children into the education system, particularly after the interruption during the pandemic.
Since the start of the project till the end of October, the following have occurred:
Continuing to provide formal education services to 225 students, including 115 boys and 110 girls.
In cooperation with the Education Directorate, teachers and a school principal were employed to work in the school.
Furnishing classrooms and administrative rooms, as well as providing equipment such as stationary, masks, sterile materials and detergents, a gas cylinder, and a monthly internet allowance.
WATAN UK set up training for teachers: explaining the stages of preparing the lesson and how to prepare and deliver in a way which will be most beneficial to students.
All teachers signed their contracts, as well as the codes of conduct of WATAN UK, the code of conduct for child protection, and the code of conduct for protection, abuse from harassment and sexual exploitation.
Providing the administrative staff and teachers with record books to keep matters in order. In particular, teachers received a book to help record and prepare for lessons.
Providing these services is expected to:
Decrease the number of school dropouts.
Reduce child labour within camps.
Spread awareness of the importance of education among the people in the camps and how an educated population will lead to the advancement of a Society.
