Bringing girls 'Back to Schools', a Syria- UNICEF initiative
Syria, Education, 8/14/2003

"It is not easy task when it is to deal with traditions, similarly educating the girls, especially in rural areas, there is a big socio-economic problem to be dealt with; We need to learn from the shortcoming of this project and continue with more vigorous efforts to educate the girls -- those who have dropped out;" said UNICEF's program coordinator Mr. Narindar Sharma in a statement to Arabic News (ArabicNews.com).

Highlighting the national seminar held on July 28th in Deir Ezzor under the title "Evaluation of Girls Education Project by the Condensed Curriculum" Sharma added "To succeed, we must consciously seek to make this project as participatory as possible. This participation should be both qualitative and quantitative, " adding that there is a need for qualitative improvement as well as quantitative expansion. "Hence the need to increase and improve teacher education and training. The need to make the initiative a "whole-community affair," Sharma commented.

To this effect research was presented by Anton Rahmeh at the said national seminar to draw results of the study and lay adopted recommendations that help to bringing girls back to schools.

The event which was held in Deir Ezzour in order to disseminate the results of girls education project in Deir Ezzour was in cooperation between Damascus University, the ministry of education and UNICEF. It was attended by the deputy minister of education Muhammad Yasamenah, UNICEF's program coordinator Narindar Sharma; UNICEF's communications officer; and Bashar al-Masri UNICEF's program officer, responsible for girls education project. A national core team oversees the planning and implementation of this project. The technical committee decides how to carry out the condensed curriculum transformation process.

It is a general cultural notion that "girls will get married and go to their husbands' houses, therefore no need to educate them. Also, to make use of their time and give them training to be a good house wives, girls better work at home and in the field." One can listen to these arguments very often from the parents and grand parents.

The special efforts of government of Syria to address this complicated issue of bringing the girls back to school is praiseworthy, and deserves support and appreciation.

The cultural notion about gender and economic hardship work together in making the attainment of a primary / secondary education an untenable goal for girls.

Giving wider spectrum to this important event, Sharma explained that with the collaboration of UNICEF in Damascus, and the Ministry of Education in the Syrian Arab Republic, the project of girls education who left their primary schools was started in the provinces of Aleppo, Idleb, Al Hassakeh, Al Rakka and Deir Ezzor. The project's execution began in the year 2000 by estimating the number of girls who left their primary schools, and their distribution among the cities and towns, defining the reasons of their leaving schools, then opening a number of classes to teach them in the province of Deir Ezzor in the year 2001/2002, joining of number of girls to the opened classes, and opening new classes in the year 2002/2003 in the five provinces. The project was followed up by field visits. This evaluating study of the executed program in Deir Ezzor Province explored its positive and negative aspects, deduced the suggestions to treat its problems, and leading it towards the realization of its aims.

He indicated that Antoun Rahmeh performed the study in cooperation with UNICEF and Ministry of Health. The study procedures included the preparation of working plan, reviewing all the project's documents, field visits to schools, meeting some of the school girls, teachers, school directors, educational supervisors, parents of some of the girls, representatives of local organizations, asking them about their notices and opinions in the project of teaching girls, in its curriculums, means of teaching, books, performance of its teachers and girls, the level of the girls learning, the difficulties which the project faces, also the evaluating team examined the schools buildings, the performance of teachers and girls. The team also investigated the reasons for the girls joining to schools, and the reasons for leaving schools again, or their continuing their study.

Focusing on the main findings of the study, Sharma said that the project document shows the project objectives and its target groups, and its stages and plans. It is a very organized document, clear and suitable, as a reference frame for the project.

A study was done in the year 2000 on schools dropout, and included the five provinces, which were defined in the project. The number of the girls who left school was calculated, and their distribution in the provinces and towns. It investigated the reasons for school dropouts, and classified them to economical, social and educational reasons, but it did not show, in details, the contents of each kind of these reasons.

The project's document stated that the Mosque Imams, and the concerned parties should make a campaign to enlighten the girls families, and convince them of the importance of their girls education, and the necessity of sending them to schools. The educational supervisors, and school directors stated that they visited the families, and incited the parents to send the girls to schools. The results of this enlightenment appeared by the joining of great numbers of the girls to classes that were opened. But this enlightenment was not continued, and this was the reason for many girls to leave the schools again, and for the reduction of the girls who joined schools in the second year of the project's execution.

All classes were opened in the existed rooms of the school buildings. All needed equipment and education aids were provided by UNICEF (desks, boards, etc..).

The curriculums contain the primary education subjects that are taught in the regular schools, and the studying hours are distributed in the same distribution of these schools. But they are condensed curriculums, as they are taught during three years, instead of six.

The project's document stated that teacher's guide should be prepared, to show the way of how to teach the extensive curriculum subjects, some of the guides were prepared and distributed, and some are still under distribution. The teachers use these guides and are benefited by them.

The project's document stated that all girls of the age 10-17 years, who did not enter schools at all, or who have left schools, should be accepted, within five years 2000-2005, with the average of 20% each year. And according to study results of the girls who left schools, 74 classes should be opened, and 1657 girls should join the classes every year.

The study shows that only 14% of the classes and 15% of the girls continued to the year 2002/2003. The number of the new classes, which were opened, did not exceed 27% of the plan. The number of the girls who joined the classes did not exceed 17% of the plan. Only 35 classes, and 609 girls continued till the end of the year.

In addition to the above-mentioned regression, repeated absence of the girls, their delay in attending classes, and the limitation of the scholastic year to four, or five months, were noticed in many areas.

Upon asking the girls, teachers, school directors, supervisors, girls' parents and the local organizations about the reasons of joining the classes and leaving them, they answered as follows: Reasons of joining classes: Visiting of the school director to the family and convincing the parents to send their girls to schools, and getting the benefits of education.

Reasons of leaving schools: Economical, as the parents get used to their girls in the rented agricultural works, also many families travel with their livestock in the desert, and take their girls with them. There are financial rewards to the girls who join classes (flour bags), were granted to the girls who join the courses of teaching the illiterate girls, but were not granted to the girls who joined the extensive program.

Most of the girls' parents are poor, and they prefer to send their girls to work than sending them to school. It is difficult to convince them of the benefits which they earn from education. They see that their daughters will get married, work in farms, milk the livestock and work in the house. All theses works, in their opinion do no need education.

Local Organizations claimed that they exerted great efforts to convince the parents to send their girls to school, and that the poverty and social underdevelopment, increase the difficulty of joining the girls and their continuation at schools. They suggested granting financial aids to the girls.

The participants in the seminar adopted several suggestions to improve the project. Among these are: The continuation with the project, and treating its problems, so that it will realize better results.

Amending the execution plan of the project, so that it compensates the deficiency, which happened in the last two years, and realized the joining and educating of 7355 girls during the next two years. Getting the benefits of the results of current study on school dropouts by introducing amendments to executing the plan of the project.

Developing the enlightening campaign for the parents, and authorizing of the compulsory teaching committees to pay periodical visits to the families.

Confining training to teachers who live in the area where the school is located, and undertake to work in the girls' classes for three years at least, evaluate training curriculum and their system; making the working period in each area suitable to agricultural working seasons, and the seasons of moving the livestock, to enable the girls to go to schools. Also the suitability of the daily working hours to the leisure time of the girls out of the house and farm work.

Enlightenment of the girls of the importance of attending schools, and giving enforcement lessons to the girls who face difficulties in learning, following up the girls who leave for the desert and enabling them to join the mobile schools, rewarding those who finish the third primary level, by giving them a document showing that they finished up with the stage; choosing teachers who sympathize with the girls who have difficult circumstances, and wish to teach, train them and authorize them to visit the girls' families, enlightening them and granting the teacher who keeps classes and girls to the end of the third primary level, a financial reward; Authorizing the school directors and educational supervisors to open classes in their schools, take care of them, guarantee their continuation, and exert informatory efforts to secure the joining of girls to these classes, and holding them responsible if they do not execute; coordinating with the Ministry of Culture, and the women's union, to joint works in teaching the various classes of girls; and Activating the programs of family planning, and the population education in the areas at which most of the marriages are at the early age, getting married with multiple wives, giving birth to many children, illiteracy and the deterioration of social values.

Previous Stories:
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