Daraa – Halim Muhammad

Salem, a first-grade student, missed school for most of last week due to decreased temperatures and rain falling in Daraa province, southern Syria.

Meanwhile, Ms. Islam had to layer her daughter’s clothing with a wool sweater, jacket, gloves, and a hat to protect her from the cold at school, amidst fears of her catching winter illnesses like the flu.

Absence from school or heavy clothing are the only two solutions in most schools in Daraa province, as there are only “old and poor-quality” heaters available, which pose a danger when used.

In contrast, the Daraa Education Directorate has not worked to secure or maintain the heaters, prompting some villages to start donation campaigns to buy fuel and heaters for schools, as well as to repair windows and doors.

Cold classrooms

A teacher at an elementary school in western Daraa told Enab Baladi that classrooms are cold, especially in the morning hours, which affects students’ comprehension. She added that all students feel the cold, making it hard for them to write or keep up with the teacher.

The teacher mentioned that she refused to use the heater in her classroom because it is old and dilapidated, emits smoke, is difficult to ignite, and poses more risks than benefits.

Most of the heaters available in schools are old, having been in use for over 15 years, according to teachers and staff who spoke with Enab Baladi from various areas in Daraa.

Each year, staff attempt to repair some heaters, but most are no longer functional.

Disparity in allocations that don’t meet needs

A member of the service committee in Daraa al-Balad stated to Enab Baladi that the Daraa Education Directorate sent 20 heaters to the 20 schools in Daraa al-Balad, which means that each school receives only one heater.

In early November, the Directorate provided the schools in Daraa al-Balad with their fuel allocations for the first term, while most rural areas of Daraa did not receive their allocations of fuel or heaters, according to what Enab Baladi’s correspondent observed.

Most schools have a stock of fuel, as the Education Directorate provides allocations for the second term in spring, storing it for winter.

A teacher in Dael, in western Daraa, told Enab Baladi that the main problem with heating is the age of the heaters and their accessories (pipes and elbows) since each school retains its fuel allocations from the previous year.

The allocation for each classroom is 30 liters, delivered in two installments, 15 liters for each delivery.

Media activist Hassan al-Bardan, residing in the town of Tafas in western Daraa, stated that the Education Directorate in Daraa provides services to schools “unfairly”, as it has delivered fuel allocations to the schools in the city center of Daraa and repaired most of them.

Conversely, the Directorate has ignored the demands of rural schools for their fuel allocations and repairing the lack of heaters.

The price of a heater in local markets ranges from 300,000 Syrian pounds (20 USD) to 1 million Syrian pounds (67 USD), with the price varying based on the size and quality of the heater.

Despite the poor conditions of schools in most areas of Daraa, the Daraa Education Directorate announced that it has partially repaired 189 schools since 2018 (the year when regime forces took control of all of Daraa province) and fully repaired three schools.

There are 958 public schools in Daraa province, of which 881 are operational, while 121 schools have been rendered out of service.

The number of students in Daraa province for this year is 272,184 from various grades, according to a statement by Daraa Education Director Wael al-Subuh to the state-run al-Thawra newspaper.

Donations and appeals for help

After the lack of definitive solutions from the Directorate of Education to rehabilitate schools and provide them with energy sources, local communities in some villages have launched appeals for donations to support schools.

Activists launched a donation campaign in the town of Hayt in western Daraa in early November, aimed at renovating the town’s schools, including windows, and restrooms, purchasing printers, heaters, and other necessities.

In June, activists initiated a campaign in the city of Jasim to refurbish school benches to open an examination center in the city, followed by an August campaign named “Contribute/Sahem,” aimed at supporting 200 students in the city with school bags and stationery.

In Tafas, the local community formed an educational committee in October, made up of a group of retired teachers from the city, responsible for collecting donations and supervising the renovation of the 24 schools in the city.

Media activist Hassan al-Bardan told Enab Baladi that the goal of forming the committee is to manage the expenditure of donations in a way that serves the needs of the schools. Previously, support was limited to schools in specific neighborhoods, but after the committee was formed, a unified management was created to oversee all schools.

Al-Bardan added that the cold weather necessitates local community donations to support the education sector, noting that he observed a number of students absent due to the cold temperature and the lack of heating means.

Public schools are experiencing a shortage of educational staff, and Daraa province is witnessing an increase in the number of school dropouts, many of whom work in industrial jobs due to their families’ economic conditions, the failure of the educational process, rising unemployment, and the loss of the value of public sector salaries in Syria.