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WORLD NEWS Saturday 8 September 2018

Back to school, but not for all of Syria's children

By ALBERT AJI control. One principal said
ALICE SU over 1,800 students had en-
DOUMA, Syria (AP) — Stand- rolled in her school, which
ing in line in the courtyard had 350 students in previ-
of their school in the capi- ous years.
tal Damascus, scores of "There is a big turnout" now
Syrian girls in pink and blue that the fighting has ended,
uniforms saluted the flag said Malak Rislan, principal
and sang the country's na- of Seif al-Dawleh elemen-
tional anthem. A few miles tary school. Many schools
away in a suburb, children offer morning and evening
played in the courtyard sessions to accommodate
of a rehabilitated school, the growing numbers.
where shattered windows Taghrid Hailani, 27, said
were replaced but charred her four children, between
walls and pockmarks from 3 and 11 years old, have
bullets remained on build- been home-schooled for
ing facades. years because of the shell-
With fewer areas in ac- ing and now lag behind.
tive combat in Syria, more "They can't read or write .
children are going back to I am glad that they will re-
school this year, the Syrian turn to school."
government said, putting Yasser Hijazi said he kept his
the number at 4 million. children at home because
Keen to project an image In this Wednesday, Sept 5, 2018 photo, Syrian students play in courtyard of a school in the town of the rebels changed the
of normalcy, the govern- Douma, in eastern Ghouta region, near the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria. school curriculum, teach-
ment said it has rehabili- Associated Press ing their "own interpretation
tated over 400 schools over of religion."
the last two months alone cles facing Syria's children. war, donor countries are laere said. "Ultimately we During recess, the bullet-
and called on students to Some 2 million kids in Syr- debating how to best to are standing in the middle pocked and charred fa-
return to wearing school ia remain out of school. pool their funds. and we are crying out loud cades of the school build-
uniforms, shed in years of Nearly one out of three The Syrian government ar- on behalf of the children of ings provided shade for
conflict. Syrian schools is out of ser- gues it is now safe for the Syria." the children playing in the
"This is to reaffirm that we vice. Some 180,000 quali- refugees to return home. Allwaz, the education min- courtyard.
have reached victory fied teachers have also left The U.N. and other agen- ister, said UNICEF has cut In Lebanon and Jordan,
phase . which means things the system. Since April, 31 cies say it is too early but assistance to students — UNICEF funding shortfalls
should settle down, includ- children were killed by un- are facing budget short- including a million school were at 48 and 49 percent,
ing in education," Educa- exploded ordnance, ac- ages they fear will limit ser- bags — "under the pretext respectively.
tion Minister Hazwan Allwaz cording to UNICEF, includ- vices and give refugees that international funding UNICEF reduced the num-
told the pro-government ing in areas where fighting the impression they are has dropped," he said. ber of refugee children
Al-Watan newspaper in ended. being pushed back. Do- UNICEF says its funding in- getting school assistance
comments published at the In northwestern Syria, nor nations, already tiring side Syria is short $40 million from 55,000 last year to
opening of the academic where the government is of providing aid in multiple of its needs, a 43 percent 10,000 this year in Jordan,
year Sunday. threatening an offensive in conflicts around the re- gap. said Rob Jenkins, UNICEF
The war is far from over, Idlib province, 1 million chil- gion, have been reluctant Some of the cuts were a country director. More than
however, and its devasta- dren — many of them al- to pour more money into reaction to government 50 percent of the 670,000
tion has been particularly ready displaced more than the prolonged Syrian war, restrictions on his agency's registered refugees are
scarring for the country's once by the conflict — are particularly when a politi- access, Cappalaere said, children.
children, including those bracing for a bruising mili- cal resolution remands elu- including access to areas In Lebanon, the country
who fled the conflict, Geert tary campaign. sive. In countries hosting recently captured from the with the world's highest
Cappelaere, regional di- Conditions are also difficult refugees, donors are look- opposition, or independent concentration per capita
rector of the U.N. Children's in neighboring countries, ing to directly support local monitoring of spending. of Syrian refugees, the cuts
agency UNICEF, said. where more than 4 million governments rather than In Douma outside Damas- meant 20,000 children have
Loss of families' livelihoods, Syrian refugees live, over through aid organizations. cus, even on the first day lost informal education,
pervasive poverty, trauma half of them children. At "The reality is the children of school Sunday, parents homework support and
and continued insecurity — least 700,000 refugee chil- become once again the were still registering their basic school rehabilitation.
even in areas where fight- dren are out of school, and playball of a solely political children for government- More than 55 percent of
ing has ended — as well as many more are at risk of game, the government on run schools. Forces recap- the 1 million Syrian refugees
severe aid funding cuts are dropping out. the one side and the donors tured the area earlier this registered in Lebanon are
among the biggest obsta- In this new phase of the on the other side," Cappa- year after years of rebel children.q