Syria reopens Idlib school after nearly 60 years

Syria reopened a school in the northern province of Idlib on Sunday after it had remained closed for nearly 60 years, Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh said in a statement.

Saleh said he attended the reopening of the Holy Land School in the Jisr al-Shughur area. He described the event as part of efforts to build “a Syria for all its people,” according to the statement.

School was damaged during the conflict

The minister did not say when the school was ordered to close or provide details about the circumstances surrounding its closure. He also did not disclose the grades it would offer or the number of students it could accommodate.

The school was damaged by shelling during the Syrian revolution, which began with mass protests in 2011 and ended in December 2024 with the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Wider education rehabilitation efforts

The reopening is part of broader efforts to restore educational infrastructure in Idlib, where several schools have recently resumed operations.

In June, 50 schools renovated with support from the “Loyalty to Idlib” campaign reopened at a ceremony in the city of Kafr Nabl attended by Saleh and Idlib Governor Mohammad Abdulrahman.