More than 140 students continue their study despite obstacles

In a scene that reflects the children's determination to continue their education despite the harsh conditions, about 140 students from the villages of Tal Faruq, Tal Damsheq, and Tal Fawidat in the southern countryside of Tal Tamr city continue to attend their school, despite the destruction and collapse that have affected the walls, ceilings, and classrooms, and the absence of the most basic educational supplies.

Determination to continue education despite harsh conditions

And while students and teachers insist on continuing the educational process amidst the rubble, other families refrain from sending their children out of fear of the risks posed by the building's collapsing parts, in the absence of a suitable educational alternative.

The school, which serves the children of the three villages, appears to be in a deteriorated structural condition, lacking doors, windows, floors, and suitable ceilings. Additionally, the classrooms are damaged, and parts of the walls have collapsed, making the presence of students inside it fraught with danger, especially with the continued falling of parts of the building and the possibility of other sections collapsing.

A crumbling building threatens the safety of students

In this context, citizen Ahmed Abdul-Fares, a resident of the area, explained that the school still accommodates 140 students despite its dilapidated condition, noting that about 40 to 50 children do not attend due to their families' concerns for their safety. Meanwhile, some affluent families are forced to send their children to schools in other villages, while low-income families cannot afford transportation costs, depriving their children of the opportunity to continue their education.

Abdul-Fares added that the students face a significant shortage of educational supplies and are forced to carry their study boards from their homes to the school and back daily, due to the lack of sufficient boards. He pointed out that some lessons are given under difficult conditions, even during rain, due to the deterioration of the classrooms and the absence of suitable spaces.

For his part, citizen Khaled Mohammed from the village of Tal Fawidat stated that the school includes about 140 students, distributed across grades one to six, confirming that the educational process continues despite the destruction that has affected the building, the absence of chairs, tables, floors, ceilings, and basic equipment. He noted that even the classroom has been destroyed and is no longer suitable for receiving students.

Mohammed pointed out that teachers face difficulties in reaching the school, especially those coming from outside the village, due to the lack of transportation. This forces them to rely on irregular means of transport or to walk long distances, which affects the regularity of attendance and the continuity of the educational process.

The school was damaged during the years of war and military operations that the region witnessed, which led to the destruction of large parts of its building, and the damages have not been addressed in a way that ensures its ability to receive students in a safe educational environment.

Official refusal to provide clarifications

In the context of monitoring the educational reality in the region, our agency ANHA approached the Education Directorate in Al-Hasakah through several requests to inquire about the school's condition, assess its current status, and understand the directorate's plans regarding its rehabilitation or providing an alternative. However, the directorate did not respond to the agency's requests and did not provide clarifications regarding the measures to be taken to address the school's situation.

The residents of the three villages are demanding that the Ministry of Education in the Syrian Transitional Government intervene urgently, rebuild and rehabilitate the school, or provide an alternative building, along with proposing emergency solutions, including the construction of prefabricated classrooms or providing temporary educational rooms, in addition to securing basic necessities and transportation for teachers.

And with students continuing to receive their education inside a cracked building, and families refraining from sending their children out of fear for their lives, the Tal Fawidat School faces a challenge that goes beyond repairing walls and roofs, reaching the guaranty of children's right to education in a safe environment, and not leaving their determination to learn dependent on the conditions of a building that threatens their safety.

ANHA