Hajj: Five Million Children do not Receive Appropriate Education

Abdul Rahman Haj, the educational advisor to the Syrian interim government, said that “there are about five million Syrian students aged between six and 15 years are not receiving appropriate education. He also pointed out that this number includes 3.2 to 3.5 million children who are not receiving an education at all, while the rest get education in very difficult circumstances. “20% of those receiving education attend field schools in the besieged and rebel-held areas. The Syrian schools in refugee camps are supervised by and supported by the Turkish government, while some schools located outside the refugee camps in Turkish cities are supported by the interim government.” Haj also said that Turkish municipalities provide buildings for these schools, and sometimes allow Syrian students to attend regular Turkish schools to study in the evening. UNICEF said in a report that nearly three million children in Syria and neighboring countries cannot go to school on a regular basis. The organization said in September that two million Syrian children aged between six and 15 years dropped out of schools. Haji said that the interim government provided financial aid for Syrian students, especially for schools that are about to collapse or currently stalled. The interim government also provides textbooks for schools, and plans to pay full salaries for teachers. The support also includes issuing school certificates and arranging high school exam for this year.” Hajj said that the number of Syrian schools in the neighboring countries vary from time to time. There are around 96 schools in Turkey spread across 12 provinces and attended by about 45,000 Syrian students. These schools rely on volunteer work, and there is a few of them in Lebanon. In Iraqi Kurdistan, schools are all held under the auspices of the Kurdistan Regional Government and there are no private schools. There are a small number of private schools in Egypt where students study the Syrian curriculum, while the majority of Syrian students are enrolled in public Egyptian schools. (Source: Al Hayat + Syrian Coalition)