In war-torn Syria, digital learning battles power cuts

A colleague recording a lesson in an empty classrom by Dbeis, 42, to be broadcast for distance learning, in the rebel-held northwestern Syrian city of Idlib. Like in much of the world, educators in Syria are taking classes online after the country's various regions sent pupils home hoping to stem the Covid-19 pandemic. But distance learning is no small feat in a country battered by nine years of war, where fighting has displaced millions and the electricity supply is sporadic at best. — Photos: AFP

IDLIB, Syria: Staring into a smartphone camera in an empty classroom in rebel-held northwest Syria, geography teacher Danielle Dbeis addresses students confined at home away from the novel coronavirus.

"Even if we are now doing distance learning... you can still talk to me online," says the 42-year-old, standing in front of a white board.