Arasten School opened its doors to students on the 1st of September 2014. The restored empty warehouse just outside the city centre is about 350 square meters and consists of nine rooms and a courtyard.

The school provides well-equipped classrooms, staff and school materials for many children in the area. The national secondary level education syllabus is available, and the school also offers five different literature and science educational studies. Arasten School has enrolled 65 students since its establishment, and the number of the students has increased to reach a total of 165 students.

Currently, the school hires fifteen full-time teachers and has considered rotating students through two-time shifts of schooling for males and females to increase the enrolling number of students. School days are Sunday-Thursday. Optional compensatory classes are available to students during a two-week midterm break. The management of the school has implemented a new evaluation programme to assess the quality of education, and a monthly exams system is in place.

Moreover, the school organises various art exhibitions to serve as a platform for students to share and show their artworks. Arasten School has varied educational tools, utilities, and laboratory materials. The school also has implemented a performance assessment process that evaluates the teachers on their teaching skills by the students. One of the new initiatives the school offers is the activity and vocational training classes that aim to help students build their varied interests and gain different skills, such as civil defense, first aid and nursing classes.

We provide access to secondary level education, and we’re looking at developing formal education in non-traditional settings, as well as providing a non-formal education such as vocational and activity courses to the students.

The school management members have outreached to the local community to inform them about the school and encourage them to enroll their children. Many of the students are determined to continue their schooling despite the current situation. We encourage all children living in Arastan to register in the school.

There are many challenges associated with going to school for Syrian students at the moment. State-funded schools are overcrowded due to forced displacement of thousands of families. There is a lack of qualified teachers and remedial education. The worsening conditions impose great challenges to provide a secure access to effective education.

There are other challenges that prevent children from receiving education such as poor transportation, scarce financial resources and ongoing conflict. Transportation is a significant barrier due to the distance and safety considerations that kept thousands of children out of schools.

Some families experienced dispersal to different remote villages, and the only way for the children to get to school is walking long distances. Some other parents have concerns towards the safety of their young girls walking to school. Therefore, Arastan Anamel School provides a safe journey to and from school all year round.

The harsh life experience students went through affected their psychological stability and social behaviour. Arastan School provides psycho-social support program to help children cope with psychological traumas caused by exposure to extreme levels of violence and loss of their loved ones.