Franciscan schools reopen in western Edleb (Idlib) after 60 years

21/09/2026

EDLEB and TEL TAMR, Syria — After six decades with their doors closed, two schools run by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land have reopened in the villages of Qunaya and Al-Yacoubiyah in western rural Edleb (Idlib), restoring access to education for children in the area.

The school in Qunaya serves first-cycle students, while the school in Al-Yacoubiyah serves students in the second cycle.

The schools were inaugurated during a ceremony attended by the Vatican Ambassador to Syria Archbishop Luigi Roberto Cona, Apostolic Vicar of the Latins in Syria Archbishop Hanna Jallouf, Custos of the Holy Land Father Francesco Patton, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh, Governor of Edleb Mohammed Abdul Rahman, and residents of the two villages and surrounding areas.

A video from the ceremony showed the reopening of the schools and the participation of local residents and officials.

During the ceremony, Kabawat said reopening the two schools after decades of closure sent a message aimed at strengthening social cohesion and trust in state institutions.

She pledged that the ministry would work to support all segments of Syrian society, which she said should enjoy equal rights under a new social contract. She also said the ministry was working to strengthen social ties alongside the return of residents to their areas and the restoration of basic services, particularly education.

Al-Saleh said his presence in the area carried particular significance because he began his first humanitarian work there 13 years ago.

Returning to the same area to open a school and seeing residents return safely to their homes, he said, was deeply meaningful to him.

The two school buildings sustained extensive damage during the Syrian war, including from airstrikes carried out by the air force of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. One teacher said she had spent recent years teaching students in the corridors of homes because of the destruction of the school buildings and the difficult conditions faced by local residents.

The reopening comes as the new academic year approaches and as communities in several parts of Syria seek to restore educational services following years of conflict and displacement.

Education-related activities have also continued in Gozarto (Jazira). A ceremony was held at the hall of Saint George Church in Tel Tamr to honor Suroyo-language (Syriac-language) students and students who passed ninth-grade and high school certificate examinations.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of head of the Assyrian Church of the East in Syria, Archbishop Mar Afram Athneil.

Organized by the Christian Education Committee in Hasakah and Tel Tamr, the event was attended by local residents, Shurch and educational figures, and representatives of Suroyo (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) political parties. Students were honored for their achievements during the academic year and encouraged to continue their education.

The honors included ninth-grade students, high school students who passed the baccalaureate examinations, and Syriac-language students, recognizing their efforts to learn their ancestral language and maintain its presence among younger generations.

The event highlighted the connection between education and the preservation of language and heritage, with Suroyo regarded as an important component of the cultural memory and historical identity of the Suroyo people.

The recognition of successful students also served as encouragement for them to continue their academic pursuits and for younger generations to maintain their connection to their language and cultural heritage.

The Tel Tamr ceremony forms part of broader educational and cultural activities aimed at supporting younger generations in preserving their language and heritage while ensuring that both education and cultural traditions are passed on to future generations.