Excitement at brand new school for 300 Syrian refugee children

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After three years of great progress with tented education in Bekaa Valley, nearly 300 Syrian refugee children have taken another huge step forward by moving to a brand new school.

Together with partners Triumphant Mercy (TM), after supporting the creation of four colourful tent schools in Bekaa Valley settlements over the last few years, all the students have now transitioned to a new central building in Zahle.

Hundreds of children have moved over to the newly built school, on specially commissioned school buses, along with their teachers from the camps. The school has three floors, plenty of playing space outside and even a hydroponics and aquaponics station on the roof, growing salad and vegetables through innovative new methods.

As with the tent schools, the children will still benefit from a bespoke curriculum in their own dialect, refugee teachers from their own communities, vocational skills opportunities and an environment of warmth and safety, where they can blossom.  All this has been developed over four years and, as staff and teachers are moving with the school, has already began to be re-created.

Even the roof is utilised in the new school, using creative methods to grow salad as a pilot scheme for refugee families.

"The reality of learning how to teach and give from the heart, and seeing the outcome in the children is a beautiful thing”.

​Joram - refugee teacher

Consistency has been ensured by moving refugee teachers along with the children to the new school. Project Officer Hannah says “We had different training sessions with the teachers about having school in the new building, discussing how to act in a building versus the tent schools. This included how to properly use and clean the bathrooms, how to practice safety with the new play area and the best way to schedule classes in a smaller place”.
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Joanna, an English teacher with the programme describes how helpful the teachers have been in helping the parents with the transition, saying “Some of the parents were worried at first, but one of the teacher’s cleverly made a video of the new building to show, and reassured them that the verandas would have railings, the teachers would help the little students be careful on the stairs and that the play area would be enclosed so the children would not be able to run off and do whatever they want. At that time ALL of the parents agreed to send their children to the new school”.

​Moving over to the new building has been a tremendously exciting process for the children who love to learn with more of their friends and travel to what feels like a proper school.

Hannah says how “The teachers were really amazing at jumping in and helping with anything we asked and being flexible in attempting to teach amid chaos”. Teacher Mohammed describes dealing with the children’s excitement, saying “I like the new building. It was hard for the students to focus at first, but they have improved”.

Joram, another teacher with the programme says  “I like the new building so much. There are windows in every classroom, but less noise (before trucks passed through camp selling vegetables and fish, loudly shouting all the time)! There are bathrooms inside and the students can’t go home if they are upset or bored, so they must stay in class until the end! The reality of learning how to teach and give from the heart, and seeing the outcome in the children is a beautiful thing”.

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