Education in the Syrian response region

Session Submission Type: Group Panel

Description of Session

March 2015 will mark the fourth anniversary of the start of the civil war that has devastated Syria and caused millions of people to flee their country. Currently more than 1.6 million Syrian children are seeking refuge in neighboring countries, including 105,250 children in Iraq and 602,689 in Lebanon. This is a generation of children who can flourish in the society where they live if they are provided with the right opportunities for safe development and quality education, or they can become a lost generation if these opportunities are denied. Host governments and the international community must treat these children not just as refugees, but as part of collective societies that value providing their children with education. All actors must work together to ensure that children are able to achieve their basic rights regardless of nationality or legal status. Though the crisis is complex, actors must embrace the essence of Ubuntu and provide all children opportunities to thrive. Unfortunately in complex emergencies, there are many factors that prevent children for realizing their basic rights and pursuing a formal education. In the Syrian response, the different countries have various policies that have an effect on children’s access to formal education. This effect is different in each country and the IRC, alongside other education actors, has tailored responses to fit within each context of the Syrian refugee crisis in an effort to ensure that all children have access to a safe and quality education.

At the end of the group panel, presentation attendees will have a deeper understanding of:
• What is the situation of Syrian children and youth in Iraq and Lebanon?
• What are the government policies in Iraq and Lebanon that shape the way the host government and international community respond to the educational needs of refugees?
• What are the needs and the gaps in education for refugees, and how is the international community responding?

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Paul Frisoli, EdD, International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Presenters

• Heather Hansen, International Rescue Committee - Iraq

• Ardalan Azeezi, International Rescue Committee

• Jeffrey Dow, International Rescue Committee

• Shakoor Muhammed, International Rescue Committee

Individual Presentations

• The situation of Syrian refugee children and the policies affecting access to education - Heather Hansen, International Rescue Committee - Iraq

• IRC's education response for Syiran refugees in northern Iraq - Ardalan Azeezi, International Rescue Committee

• IRC's education response for Syrian refugees in Lebanon - Jeffrey Dow, International Rescue Committee

• IRC's education response in northern Syria - Shakoor Muhammed, International Rescue Committee

Discussant

• Dean Brooks, Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)