61 schools in Shahba open their doors to students despite attacks
Despite the ongoing Turkish attacks and siege imposed by the Syrian government, the AANES Commission of Education has opened 61 schools in Shahba for 12,000 students in the 2024-2025 academic year.
HESNA MIHEMED
Shahba- The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) Commission of Education started the 2024-2025 academic year in all cantons of North and East Syria on September 8. In Afrin/Shahba Canton, 61 schools have opened their doors to students and teachers. In the canton, 12,000 students will receive education in the new academic year. NuJINHA spoke to students and teachers in the canton about the new academic year.
‘We will proudly complete our academic year’
“We congratulate all our teachers and students,” said Nisrîn Omar, a teacher and Co-chair of the Education Council of Afrin/Shahba Canton. “As teachers, we hope the 2024-2025 academic year will be successful despite the ongoing Turkish attacks and siege imposed by the Syrian government. Children will receive mother tongue education. As the council, we face many difficulties in supplying school materials such as books and pencils due to the ongoing siege. Despite all the difficulties, we will proudly complete our academic years.”
‘We will protect our identity’
“We are determined to receive mother tongue education despite the attacks and siege," said Fîdan Cimo, a 12th grade student. “We are very excited to receive education in our mother tongue. We hope that we will complete the new academic year successfully. Preserving our mother tongue is also our duty. The enemy’s first aim is to attack our mother tongue but we will not allow it because our mother tongue is our existence and identity and we will protect our identity. We will go to school despite the attacks and siege.”
‘Obstacles are not the impediment to success’
Diljîn Hesen, an 11th grade student, expressed her happiness for the new academic year and said, “We are very happy and proud to receive education in our mother tongue. Schools reopened after a 3-month vacation. We are displaced students of Afrin and go to schools in Shahba, where we can receive education in our mother tongue, Kurdish. As displaced people of Afrin, we face many obstacles but obstacles are not the impediment to success.”