Syria's Education Ministry Rehabilitates 1,285 Schools Since Start of 2026

A National School Rebuilding Programme

Syria's Ministry of Education is pressing ahead with its national plan to rehabilitate damaged schools across the country's governorates, ahead of the upcoming academic year. Deputy Minister Youssef Annan announced on Sunday, in statements carried by the state news agency SANA, that the ministry has completed the rehabilitation of 1,285 schools since the start of 2026. The programme aims to stabilise the educational process and expand school capacity at the national level.

Scope of Rehabilitation Works

Annan explained that all rehabilitation works are carried out according to modern engineering specifications and a unified visual identity. The works cover several key areas:

• Structural repair of damaged buildings
• Maintenance of doors, windows, and exterior paintwork
• Rehabilitation of internal infrastructure networks
• Installation of solar energy systems in select schools to ensure continuity of essential services

Scale of Remaining Needs

The deputy minister disclosed that more than 6,000 schools across Syria still require rehabilitation, while many others need varying degrees of maintenance due to sustained damage. He also noted that numerous towns and villages lack school buildings entirely, owing to the widespread destruction inflicted on educational infrastructure in recent years. Annan acknowledged that the ministry faces significant challenges ahead of each academic year, chiefly the pressure of time and the sheer scale of needs, requiring an accelerated pace of repair and the provision of sufficient classroom capacity.

A Shared National Responsibility

Annan stressed that rebuilding schools is a shared national responsibility that demands coordinated efforts from government ministries and institutions, international and local organisations, and local communities alike, with the overarching goal of guaranteeing every Syrian child's right to safe, quality education.

Progress Recorded in 2025

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Education completed comprehensive restoration works on 2,017 schools during 2025, returning them to service as part of the ongoing national plan to rebuild the education sector across Syria's governorates.