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Preserving quality education in times of war

16 May 2016

In view of the current situation in Syria, and as part of its Education in Emergencies (EiE) response aimed at providing continued access to education for children whose studies are affected by the crisis, UNRWA launched its interactive self-learning programme in 2014. The programme addresses basic skills and core subjects through the distribution of self-learning materials for English, mathematics, Arabic and science aimed at students in grades 1 to 9.

In addition to the self-learning materials, UNRWA offers psychosocial support, teaches survival skills and provides alternative learning modalities through its EiE programme. The programme also runs safety and security trainings for staff and school children in higher-risk areas in order to enable the effective delivery of education services.

UNRWA is able to reach about 51,000 students inside Syria, as well as Palestine refugees from Syria (PRS) who have fled to Jordan and Lebanon, through its EiE programme and continues to provide quality learning opportunities to PRS despite the ongoing crisis.

Around 45,000 Palestine refugee children are enrolled in UNRWA schools in Syria for the 2015/16 academic year. Those who are out of school have access to the self-learning programme through online lessons, study sheets and educational programming on UNRWA TV. Khan Dunoun, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadThe UNRWA EiE programme has developed self-learning materials that allow children who are unable to access school to continue their education. The Agency has made these materials available online and offline so that children without access to a computer can still continue their education. Khan Dunoun camp, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadUNRWA believes in the importance of recreational activities as a means to support the psychosocial well-being of children in shelters. The Agency runs eight safe learning spaces and 21 recreational playgrounds in Syria supervised by teaching staff and psychosocial support counsellors to provide protected space for refugee children to learn and play. These safe-learning spaces welcomed more than 5,500 students in 2015. Damascus Training Centre (DTC) Collective Shelter, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA PhotoTo help children cope with the stress of war and avoid falling behind in school, UNRWA runs a summer learning programme for more than 10,000 Palestine refugee children. Participating schools organize recreational and creative activities and provide support in mathematics, Arabic, English, French, music, sports and arts. DTC collective shelter. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadWithin the EiE response, teachers and counsellors were trained on both psychosocial support and safety and security skills. In 2015, the Agency held a number of trainings in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon which focused on improving response in case of emergencies. In 2016, UNRWA intends to provide more training to reinforce its staff readiness for an unexpected crisis. Jdeydat Artouz, Rif Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad Many Palestine refugee children in Syria have been exposed to violence, loss and displacement due to the conflict. In these difficult circumstances, psychosocial support for Education in Emergencies is of great importance as it helps children cope with challenges and gives them hope for the future. DTC Collective Shelter, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadIn the current school year, there are approximately 3,300 children with disabilities studying in UNRWA schools in Syria, about 6.7 per cent of the total number of students enrolled. The Agency provides rehabilitation classes for children with disabilities within safe-learning spaces, allowing them to improve their education at their own pace. Khan Dunoun, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid Mohammad

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