Exploring Barriers and Challenges to Public Education in Protracted Refugee Situations: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Turkey

• In Event: 64.086 - MTCC Roundtable Session 27
  In Roundtable Session: 64.086-8 - Examining Educational Challenges and Opportunities Across International Contexts

Abstract

This study addresses the educational status and needs of Syrian school-age children attending Turkish public schools and the perspectives of teachers and school principals of Syrian refugee students and pays renewed attention to the notion of educational integration. Data were collected from an ongoing qualitative interpretive case study research project using semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals who were working with Syrian refugees in two inner-city elementary schools in Istanbul, Turkey. The results of the study indicate that Syrian students are in a constant state of depression and trauma due to war and migration. Because of language-related issues and limited access to necessities, Syrian children are often profoundly traumatized and in need of comprehensive psychological support.

Author

• Hasan Aydin, Florida Gulf Coast University