Syrian education a casualty of war

Prior to the political/military crisis that began March 15, 2011, Syria was known for its advancements in the field of education — at the primary, secondary and university levels — with primary school enrollment rates reaching 97%. According to a UNICEF study released in December 2013, education in Syria has sharply declined over the past three years. Nearly 3 million children have been forced to quit their studies, as the war has destroyed their classrooms and many families were forced to flee the country.

The study noted that one out of every five schools in Syria has become unfit for use, as they have been damaged, destroyed or are being used as shelters for the internally displaced. Moreover, in countries hosting Syrian refugees, between 500,000-600,000 Syrian refugee children are not enrolled in school. The study pointed out that the areas most affected in terms of education are those where fierce battles are taking place — including Raqqa, Idlib, Aleppo, Deir el-Zour, Hama, Daraa and rural Damascus. In some of these areas, school attendance rates have dropped to 6%.

Well-informed sources in the field of education told Al-Monitor that there had been more than 500 cases of kidnappings and killings targeting schoolteachers and university professors from the beginning of the crisis until the end of 2013. Many students have died as a result of missiles, rockets and bombs targeting schools, kindergartens and universities, according to the same sources.

There has been a decline in the level of education in Syrian universities — especially in locations of fierce battles such as Aleppo, Homs, Idlib, Deir el-Zour and Raqqa — as many university professors have left the country. In some of these universities, available lecturers are now limited to graduate students.