ALEPPO — Private schools in the opposition-controlled areas in the countryside of Aleppo in northwestern Syria are gaining popularity due to shortages in the public education system. In the repeated waves of displacement and overcrowding in cities such as Al-Bab, Azaz and Afrin, schools are struggling to accommodate the increasing numbers of students.
The shortage of public schools is also attributable to the transformation of a number of schools into military and security headquarters for the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army. The local councils in the cities of al-Bab, Azaz, Afrin and other towns have converted a number of school buildings into office spaces. A significant number of schools have also been destroyed in battles between the Syrian regime and the opposition.
