Every day Naeemah worriedly says goodbye to her son Muhammad al-Qabaili, who goes to school in fear. Muhammad attends al-Somood (resistance) school in al-Zwaitina city, 140 kilometers northwest of Benghazi. The dilapidated school building, as Naeemah has heard many residents of this city speculate, will not hold up until the end of the academic year.
Every day Naeemah worriedly says goodbye to her son Muhammad al-Qabaili, who goes to school in fear. Muhammad attends al-Somood (resistance) school in al-Zwaitina city, 140 kilometers northwest of Benghazi. The dilapidated school building, as Naeemah has heard many residents of this city speculate, will not hold up until the end of the academic year.
Yet Naeemah has no other option. She is obliged to send her son to this decaying school every day because she wants him to continue his education. “Other schools in the city did not accept enrollment from students from al-Somood school because they do not have enough space for them,” she said.
There are more than 300 students who attend this school, which could collapse at any moment. In this city, with a population of about 7.000 and home to one of the most important oil ports in Libya, there are only three schools: the al-Somood primary school, the second one has primary and elementary classes and a third one has only secondary classes.
A decaying building
A look at the school gives a clear impression that it is in decay. As soon as one gets up close, the voices of students learning their lessons or playing in the school yard overlooking the sea are easy to hear, as the yard has no protective fence around it like other schools in Libya.
Correspondents toured some of the classes that are still open because their conditions are much better than those which have been closed for good. The closed ones, as we were told, are not fit to receive students. Even the ones which are still open lack the appropriate healthy and secure school environment. Most of these classes have no electricity, the roofs are decaying and pieces of plaster regularly fall down due to humidity. The walls too are decaying from humidity and the coating is peeling off, showing the worn mudstones underneath it.
A decision without implementation
The moment we entered the school, Awad al-Ajal, the headmaster, received us. He was disturbed by the unhealthy conditions of his school, which he has been administrating for more than 10 years. We went to the school administration office, which is also decaying as fissures and cracks in the walls reveal. “I’m afraid the school will soon collapse and seriously injure or kill one of our children,” al-Ajal said.
Al-Ajal confirmed that a decision has been taken to demolish the school building and had already been signed last year. “The school should not receive students this year and these students should be provided with mobile classrooms,” he said.
However, due to sluggish action by authorities responsible for the demolition of the school building and the absence of spots for the students at the other two schools, the administration decided to open its classes and receive children after all. “We are praying and asking God to protect the students from a serious danger that has already showed many clear signs,” said Al-Ajal.
We are not responsible
Ali Idris, director of technology and maintenance of educational facilities in the Ajdabya area, which is administratively part of al-Zwaitina, said: “The first reports on the conditions of the school were sent to the educational facilities department in Tripoli before the February 2011 revolution.
Idris explained that his administration stressed that the only solution was to demolish the school building and construct another one in its place. “By doing so, my administration has announced that it is not responsible if the school collapses, may God not allow that,” he said.
He was surprised to learn that the school administration is still receiving students even though it was asked not to do so by an official letter ordering the closure of the school until a new one is built in its place.
“The administration of educational facilities in Tripoli has agreed to demolish the school building and construct another one in its place.” He said he is expecting this to happen in the “near future.”
Unaware of the danger
Nevertheless the students at al-Somood school are still enthusiastic about attending classes and appear unaware of the dangers they might all suffer when the school collapses. They do not pay much attention to decisions taken by the different technical committees, which have all recommended the demolition of the school building.
Muhammad, Naeemah’s son said that his school is “the most beautiful school.” Wadad, a young girl in the fifth grade, tries to hide the cracks on the wall by hanging paintings. Ayoub, in the fourth-grade, said: “Nothing is more important than having a chair to sit on and to continue my education.”
But Sondos, a young girl in the fourth grade was sitting next a broken window and was far more realistic than her fellow classmates. “I am afraid that we might all get sick,” she said about the school and its miserable condition.
Gambling with the lives of students
Correspondents met with one of the school teachers, who asked not to be named. “The school administration is to be blamed for these conditions. Is the absence of spots at other schools in the area a convincing reason for opening this decaying school? Is the role of the school administration limited to sending letters to official authorities? Are the lives of our sons so cheap to gamble with them?” he asked rhetorically.
Mustafa Jalal, a fourth grade math teacher blames the Ministry of Education for any potential harm that may come to the students. “Most of the teachers at the school are disappointed because officials do not care about the lives of students.”
Worried parents
The school bell rang after the fourth class period. It was time for children to rest and eat their breakfast where Correspondents reporters joined them in the school yard. Some parents were present in the yard during the break; they came to check on their children and make sure they were still alive.
Gaddafi Ajbeel, the father of one of the students, said he comes to the school three times every day. The first time is to make sure that his son entered his classroom, the second time is during the breakfast break and the third is when his son leaves the school.
“The fear for my son’s safety is distracting my thoughts at work,” he said. He hopes a radical solution will be reached in order to ensure the safety of his son and the other children.
