By Sanaullah Ataullah
DOHA: Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) is all set to provide e-education to thousands of Syrian students who dropped out from schools and colleges due to political unrest in the country.
Initially three centres will be set up in Turkey to enrol the students and provide them distance education through electronic methods. Plans are afoot to distribute I-pads and other supporting equipment to the targeted students.
Most refugee camps are already having strong Wi-Fi internet services connected directly to the satellite.
A comprehensive curriculum is being prepared that will be accredited with educational institutions and varsities inside Syria and those in abroad especially countries hosting refugees.
Several Arab universities notably a Sudanese varsity showed their readiness to accept the students enrolled in the programme. Examinations will be held at nearby educational facilities run by the government of the hosting countries. Separate examination centres will be also made if needed.
Details about the initiative were given by the RAF officials in a press conference held here yesterday.
RAF has signed a cooperation and partnership agreement with a Saudi organization “Rowaq”, an Arab platform for online education. The initiative entitled “Sanadiyan”, is named after a big shade tree found everywhere in Syria.
Dr Ayed bin Dabssan Al Qahtani, Chairman, Board of Trustees, and General Director, RAF, and Raid Al Emadi of Rowaq have signed the agreement.
“Thousands of boys and girls living in refugee camps in Turkey will benefit from the distance education program of phase-I,” said Dr Ayed Al Qahtani.
“Later the initiative will be taken to the camps and cities built by RAF to accommodate internally displaced people in Syria,” he added.
The e-education will provide opportunities to the school and college drop outs to continue their education and obtain a recognized certificate, said Al Qahtani.
“As per the latest figure released by the United Nations, more than 12 million people were forced to leave their homes in war-torn Syria including internally displaced and those sheltering in refugee camps set up in neighbouring countries and Europe,” said Raid Al Emadi.
Some 47 percent of the affected, about six millions are young in the age of learning and they need education. The e-education program will provide an accredited curriculum to the beneficiaries to resume their studies. Many Arabic varsities are ready to participate in the initiative and allow the students to get admissions including Al Zaim Al Azhari University in Sudan.The Peninsula
