Turkish teachers brave security threats at Syrian schools

Turkish teachers brave security threats at Syrian schools

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More than 280 schools have been renovated by Turkey’s humanitarian efforts in the northern Syrian district of Azaz, in a bid to normalize life conditions in the region following Turkish army’s Operation Euphrates Shield.
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As part of an educational campaign initiated by Ankara, Turkey’s southeastern province of Kilis, on the border with Syria, has been given the responsibility to provide humanitarian aid for the war-stricken country’s nine districts.

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As a first step, an educational unit with two officials in charge was established and meetings were held with local councils to discuss the development of schools, about 10 percent of which had been used as military quarters of the Syrian opposition forces.
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Turkish authorities commenced renovations in 287 Syrian schools in the region, clearing the school areas of booby traps, mines and various weapons. Turkish authorities have also laid the necessary infrastructure to the relevant schools to be provided with clean water and electricity.
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Some 97,680 Syrians students in the districts affiliated to Kilis are now going to school, whereas this figure was 8,000 in 2016.
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According to Mahmut Keskiminare, the Kilis provincial directorate for national education in charge of coordination in Syria, the war-stricken region had come a long way in terms of access to education.
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“When we were first assigned [to Syria], we were not able to tell our wives that we were off to Syria. Vehicles exploded from time to time; we even encountered suicide blasts,” Keskiminare told daily Hürriyet.
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“As the number of students increased, we started to look for new coordinators to assign [to the region]. Many have refused to go [to Syria]. When we first crossed the border, there were two vehicles of the FSA [Free Syrian Army] assisting us as a security measure along with weapons,” he said.
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“Many children here were full of trauma. In the beginning, they were drawing pictures of war, whereas now, they draw pictures of sheep and lamb,” said Yaşar Kurt, the coordinator for Azaz and the Camps Region, who is in charge of 42,500 students’ education in 71 schools.
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Initially, Turkey’s educational efforts have received some opposition from the locals, but now the children and their families are happy with the progress, according to Kurt.
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As children’s post-war trauma started to vanish thanks to the improved educational conditions, their dreams and goals, too, have seen a drastic shift.
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“Previously, my child was running after guns but now, he is spending his time with ping pong and chess. He is now far away from war. He used to dream of becoming a soldier, but now aspires to become a doctor, an engineer, a sportsman,” a Syrian father told Cihat İstekli, the coordinator of sports and social activities at the Azaz camp region.
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The Iman camp in the Azaz area has 800 students, and according to Ümmü Muhammed, deputy principal of a school in the camp, many of the Syrian children wish to become doctors. “For them, going to Turkey is a big dream,” she also said.

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“Syria’s education was fine but it was archaic. The Turkish system is more different. Now we have got used to the new class hours and educational methods,” said Nadir Harani, the Director of National Education of Azaz.
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Furthermore, in an attempt to ease the communication between Syrian children and Turkish teachers, the children receive four hours of Turkish lessons each week.
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Photos: Selçuk Şamiloğlu / Hürriyet

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