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Helping students return to school

01 September 2016

For young students that have been displaced, having to adjust to a new school can be challenging. A different curriculum and a foreign environment can sometimes seem overwhelming. In some cases, these difficulties, compounded by the trauma and hardships arising from displacement, could lead a child to drop out of school. UNRWA strives to ensure that all Palestine refugee children, no matter their circumstances, are able to access a quality and inclusive education – this includes assisting students to return to school even after dropping out.

In Lebanon, UNRWA runs 67 schools and two technical centres. Following the onset of the crisis in Syria, UNRWA worked to reinforce the capacities of its schools in Lebanon in order to host Palestine refugee students from Syria starting in September 2012, presenting a new challenge for the Agency. Today, 5,318 Palestine refugee students from Syria are enrolled in UNRWA schools in Lebanon.

Iyad Mawaad is a Palestine refugee from Syria (PRS). His family arrived in Lebanon on 5 February 2013 and settled down in Nahr el-Bared camp, whose inhabitants still suffer from displacement as they await the completion of the reconstruction of the camp.

Iyad lives with his father, who is visually impaired, his mother and his sister. This year, he will be entering grade 8 at the Jabal Tabour Boys’ School. Iyad is one of numerous students who were able to return to school after dropping out through the help of UNRWA teachers and education staff. 

Iyad Mawaad and his family are Palestine refugees from Syria who were displaced to Nahr el-Bared camp in Lebanon in early 2013. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon MustafaIyad regularly reads books, newspapers and magazines for his visually-impaired father to develop his reading skills. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon MustafaLast year, Iyad dropped out of school after the challenges he faced with the curriculum used in Lebanon. “I found it extremely difficult to understand subjects given in English so I decided to drop out of school,” he explains. “Not to mention the critical economic situation we are going through. In fact, we receive no support except for what is provided to us through UNRWA.” © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon Mustafa“I left school and started working in a small coffee shop in Nahr el-Bared. My school teachers and administration did not like the situation and intervened to find the reasons behind my drop out and work on addressing it,” says Iyad. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon Mustafa. According to the administrators at Jabal Tabour Boys’ School, Iyad was one of 22 students who dropped out of school last year. Nonetheless, they were all able to return thanks to the support and intervention of the school’s teachers and education staff. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon Mustafa With the assistance of his teachers from Jabal Tabour Boys’ School, Iyad was able to return to school. He recalls, “A few days after I dropped out of school, representatives from my school administration visited us to convince me to go back to study. I went back to school, where my teachers took good care of me and helped me with everything I needed. I finally made it to grade 8.” © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon Mustafa. Iyad’s mother helps him with his homework on a daily basis and supports him as he works on his understanding and comprehension of the materials. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon MustafaThis September Iyad will be entering grade 8 at Jabal Tabour Boys’ School. “My dream is to become an electronic engineer and I would like to specialize in repairing cell phones,” he says. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Maysoon Mustafa

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