Harem, northwest Syria – Ward Shreit has returned to school and can barely contain his joy.
Harem Boys School in rebel-held northwestern Syria reopened its doors on Sunday, nearly three weeks after two devastating earthquakes struck parts of Syria and southeast Turkey, killing tens of thousands of people and affecting the lives of millions of others.
“I’m happy to be back at school because I get to see my friends,” Ward, 10, told Al Jazeera. He says he did not lose any family members in the quake, but one of his classmates had died.
“I felt sad he wasn’t at school and that I would never see him again. He was smart, and we used to play with each other a lot,” Ward said.
Students returning to school in the opposition-held northwest territory recently took part in evacuation drills in case of future earthquakes.
Ahmad Sheikh Ahmad, the head teacher of Harem Boys School, said the educational board decided to design and implement these drills for the safety of the children and teachers alike, and on Saturday and Sunday, the school dedicated the last two class sessions to the drills.
“We taught them that if they hear the sirens ringing, they must proceed in an orderly and calm way to the school’s playground since it is a flat area that can accommodate everyone,” Ahmad said.
“In case it was a – God forbid – strong earthquake, we taught them how to take cover under their desks with their hands over their heads to protect themselves. If students are not in the classrooms or outside once the sirens ring, then they must adopt the brace position and find a corner of a wall and stay there.”
Attendance was only at half capacity on Sunday as students are still shaken up, the head teacher said, adding that he hoped that the return of school hours will contribute a sense of normalcy to students’ lives.
