PHOTOS: Syrian children slowly return to schools

In this Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 photo, 12-year-old Abdo al-Fikri, walks to school from his family home in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. It has been a year since al-Fikri and his siblings were last in school. The area has seen ongoing battles between opposition forces and troops loyal to President Bashar Assad, and like pretty much everything else in Madaya, the school was forced to shut down because of the violence. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, Syrian children pose for a portrait in their classroom in the public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, Syrian children sit in their classroom in a public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, 12-year-old Abdo al-Fikri, left, arrives to school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. It has been a year since al-Fikri and his siblings were last in school. The area has seen ongoing battles between opposition forces and troops loyal to President Bashar Assad, and like pretty much everything else in Madaya, the school was forced to shut down because of the violence. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, Syrian children attend class at the public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, Syrian children run downstairs at the public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 photo, Ahmed al-Fikri sits with his sons and daughter, among them 12-year-old Abdo al-Fikri, second left, to eat lunch at their family house in Madaya village after school in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. It has been a year since al-Fikri and his siblings were last in school. The area has seen ongoing battles between opposition forces and troops loyal to President Bashar Assad, and like pretty much everything else in Madaya, the school was forced to shut down because of the violence. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 photo, Syrian children play football outside their homes in Madaya village after school in the public school in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 photo, children sit in front of their family's house in Madaya village after school in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 photo, the brother of Ahmed al-Fikri sits with his son and daughter at his brother's family house in Madaya village in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, a Syrian teacher leads a class at the public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, Syrian children attend class at the public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, Syrian children walk downstairs at the public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )

In this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 photo, a Syrian girl looks out of a window of the public school in Madaya village as classes begin in the Idlib province countryside of Syria. Millions of Syrian children most of them in government-controlled areas have returned to school in the past two weeks, despite the conflict that according to UNICEF has left 4,000 Syrian schools or one in five damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families. (AP Photo) ( Mideast Syria Education Photo Essay )