In the context of the Covid19 crisis, the Ministry of Education in the Syrian Arab Republic, represented by:
• Dr. Abdul Hakim Hamad, Deputy Minister of Education.
• Dr. Nidal Hassan, Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO.
• Ms. Kifah Al-Haddad, Director of the Regional Center for Early Childhood Development.
• Mr. Almuthanna Khadour, Director of Supervision at the Ministry of Education.
• Dr. Subeit Suleiman, Director of Research at the Ministry of Education.
• Dr. Hatoon Al-Tawashi, Director of School Health at the Ministry of Education.
• Dr. Nadia El-Ghazouli, Director of the National Center for Educational Curriculum Development.
• Mr. Ghassan Shughri, Director of Planning and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Education.
Participated in the series of virtual joint meetings between UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank about schools reopening. They form a part of the Global Educational Alliance to address the Corona-19 pandemic. The meetings were held on Zoom platform according to the following:
- The first virtual meeting which was held on June 8th, 2020; about "Learning in the Time of Corona Virus" and the efforts to support governments in promoting distance education and facilitating the schools reopening with the aim of evaluating the teaching and learning experience during school closure, and organizing remedial measures and accelerated learning programs during the crisis of Covid-19 as well as supporting teachers for a seamless transition from distance learning to school-based education.
- The second virtual meeting on June 11th, 2020; in the field of policies that are related to the safe schools reopening in the Arab region, the Middle East and North Africa with the aim of providing an opportunity to exchange experiences, challenges, achievements, learn from each other, and support governments in enabling distant-learning and facilitating the reopening of schools as well as emphasizing on country's procedures in operational safety which are based on the guide procedures of reducing the outbreak of the Corona pandemic in schools.
- The third virtual meeting on June 15th, 2020; about welfare and protection. This meeting aimed to facilitate discussion for partners to address concerns regarding psychosocial support, protection, health promotion practices and school feeding with a focus on national experiences. A vision was provided about promoting children's health and well-being in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The fourth virtual meeting, June 24th, 2020; about strategies to ensure the schools reopening with the aim of reaching the most vulnerable children, including girls, children with disabilities, ethnic and linguistic minorities, displaced, internally displaced persons and refugees in order to support them to return to schools and stay in it.
- The fifth virtual meeting on June 29th, 2020; about " Schools Reopening " with the aim of conducting examinations under difficult circumstances and the Covid-19 crisis as well as emphasizing the application of the health protocol, sterilization procedures, and social distancing among students during exams.
- The sixth virtual meeting on August 27th, 2020; about the "Latest Event on Schools Reopening " with the aim of supporting governments in enabling distant education, how to deal with educational loss resulting from school closure, and how to ensure that comprehensive schools reopening for the most vulnerable learners.
- The seventh virtual meeting on October 7th, 2020; about "Exchanging Experiences in the Framework of Schools Reopening in Developing Countries", with the aim of focusing on schools reopening in developing countries and looking at the various challenges and responses of governments in addressing these issues through a survey for the Ministries of Education about national responses to COVID-19.
- The eighth electronic meeting on November 4th, 2020; in the field of policies related to the reopening of schools entitled "What have we learned? An Overview of National Responses to the Corona Pandemic". The aim of the meeting is to focus on reopening schools in developing countries and to look at the challenges and the different government responses in addressing these issues.
- The ninth electronic meeting was held on November 24th, 2020; about "Evaluating Education and Schools Reopening", with the aim of evaluating students and the educational loss that occurred during their return to schools. The Minister participated in it.
- The tenth electronic meeting, on December 16th, 2020; about "Hybrid Education in the Context of Schools Reopening ", with the aim of reaching and influencing the methods of hybrid education, the use of technological platforms for distant learning and the purposes of sharing experiences of the other countries that are struggling with the decisions of opening or closing schools.