Syria reopens Holy Land School in Idlib after 60 Years

Syria has reopened the Holy Land School in the Jisr al-Shughur area of Idlib governorate after it had been closed for around six decades, Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh announced on Sunday.

Al-Saleh said he had participated in a ceremony marking the reopening of the school, which will once again receive students from the surrounding area.

“After it was closed for about 60 years by the Baath Party and the Assad regime, today we participated in the reopening of the Holy Land School in the Jisr al-Shughur area,” Al-Saleh said in a statement.

He welcomed the return of students to the building, describing its reopening as representative of “the Syria we dreamed of … a Syria for all its people.”

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Al-Saleh did not specify when the school was originally closed or provide details about the circumstances surrounding its closure. He also did not disclose the number or age groups of students expected to attend.

According to the report, the school property had remained out of its original community’s use for decades and was subsequently damaged during the Syrian conflict.

Its reopening forms part of broader efforts to restore educational infrastructure in Idlib governorate, where a number of damaged or previously closed schools have recently returned to operation.

In June, authorities reopened 50 schools in Idlib following restoration and rehabilitation work supported by the Loyalty to Idlib campaign.

The reopening was marked at an event in Kafranbel attended by Al-Saleh and Idlib Governor Muhammad Abd al-Rahman, as authorities continue efforts to expand access to education and rehabilitate schools damaged during years of conflict.

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