With the help of local individual initiatives, the educational and administrative cadre of the only industrial school in Idlib is reopening the school and accepting students again.

The school’s equipment, which hadn’t been used since 2015, as well as the building itself along with its classes and laboratories are being reformed.

The industrial school was shut down back in 2015. The “Free Idlib Education Directorate” decided to reopen the school this year and to enroll 100 students, supervised by a cadre of engineers and teachers from different fields of experience such as electronics, lathing, electricity, blacksmithing, carpentry, mechanics, and informatics.

Abdullah al-Absi, the educational supervisor, told Enab Baladi that around 40 teachers and engineers are voluntarily working in the school since its reopening. The teachers have received no salaries as the school has had no source of funding whether from a party or an organization.

Multiple reforms and individual efforts

Many of the broken machines in the school were repaired by the cadre. Metal cutting shears and broken lathers, for instance, were repaired and brought back to service. The building was also reformed and windows were replaced.

While the electricity was checked by the cadre, the Public Establishment of Electricity took a part in providing the secondary school with electricity. Civil Defense also participated in preparing the theoretical sections, according to the official Facebook page of the school.

For the sake of keeping the educational process ongoing in the secondary school, the operating cost of professional training needs to be funded. This includes funding to purchase needed training equipment and supporting students by offering the cost of one-year practical training and transportations, according to the supervisor of vocational education in the Education Directorate of Idlib province, Mounir Diab.

This secondary school is regarded as the first and only of its kind in the opposition-held areas. And many students joined the first and secondary classes according to their specializations.

The principal of the school, Nadim Barhoum, pointed out that many challenges are facing them, such as finding financial and logistic support, and completing reparations of the school’s classrooms.

He said that the educational cadre is trying to share all their gained experience with students, and to devote their time to help out the educational and vocational processes.

Aimed at qualifying students to meet labor market needs, the cadre is well-trained according to advanced curriculum, according to Barhoum.

Barhoum called on the Directorate of Education and all bodies and organizations to pay full attention to the school, likewise every other school, and to fulfill its needs and requirements as soon as possible, in order to ensure the continuation of education, and that students won’t skip their schools and finally guarantee their vocational careers.