Education for Syrian Refugees
Providing hope in Lebanon
Students during a lesson at Bourj
Hammoud School in Beirut, a
mixed school teaching Lebanese
and Syrian children. Chris
Radburn/PA Wire, via AP Images.
The Syrian civil war is among the worst of the present-day
humanitarian crises affecting the global community. An
estimated 11 million Syrians have fled their homes since
the start of the civil war in March 2011. Syrian families are
struggling to survive, both inside Syria and in neighboring
countries, and many are risking their lives to flee to Europe.
The Syrian crisis is occurring on a global scale that politicians
and global aid agencies agree is unprecedented.
Lebanon—a small country on the Mediterranean Sea, bordering
Syria to the west—has a population of just exceeding 4 million.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has officially
recorded more than one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and
other estimates suggest this number may be as high as 1.6 million.
Officials confirm that one in every four persons in Lebanon is a
Syrian refugee. Refugees face numerous challenges; for children,
these include continuing their education. The number of Syrian
refugee children out of school is currently estimated at 700,000,
and this total continues to climb. The majority of out-of-school
Syrian refugees—as many as 400,000—are in Lebanon. The
dropout rate among Syrian refugees in Lebanese schools is 70
percent, reflecting the challenges that refugee children face in
accessing and successfully continuing their education.
There is an opportunity to make a measurable difference in the
lives of Syrian refugee families in Lebanon, where there exists a
strong community-based organization infrastructure and the
necessary political will to address challenges. A $1.1 million-dollar
1 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
investment over 32 months can fund a pilot program to help
Syrian refugees—and some disadvantaged Lebanese youth—
stay in primary school, or complete their secondary education.
The pilot program will focus on both accelerated learning and
remedial education (using the Speed School model in its design),
as well as basic humanitarian assistance on a limited scale. The
pilot program could touch the lives of over 10,000 people, with
the opportunity to reach thousands more if a successful pilot is
later expanded. Each component within the pilot program fills an
important gap in the current crisis, helping these Syrian refugees
not only survive their harsh living conditions of today, but also
bringing them hope for tomorrow.
The Speed School Fund has committed to
mobilizing $20 million to help bring children
affected by the Syrian crisis back to school.
This investment note details a pilot project
plan which would serve as a first step in
implementing programs in the region.
$1,100,00 pilot investment
1,500 lives impacted (estimated)
$734 cost per life (estimated)
32-month pilot program
www.speedschool.org
Syrian refugees in Lebanon
struggle to access education
The peaceful civil protest against Bashar al-Assad’s regime that
began in Syria in March 2011 has turned into a brutal civil war,
killing more than 250,000 people1 – 10,000 of whom are Syrian
children.2 More than half of all Syrians have been forced to leave
their homes. This has made Syria currently the world’s largest
global displacement crisis, leaving more than 2 million children in
need of urgent psychosocial and trauma support.3 The disaster’s
immense impact on children should be generating support from
the international community, but this support has been slow
to arrive, and several gaps in critical coverage exist. The Syrian
conflict is now entering its fifth year, and thus humanitarian
operations in Lebanon and elsewhere are transitioning from
“emergency” to “protracted crisis” interventions.
The displacement crisis has disrupted the education of millions
of children and young people. Statistics regarding the disruption
of the education cycle are staggering. According to UNICEF,
some children have lost up to five years of their education, while
others have never stepped inside a classroom.4 In neighboring
countries, half of all school-age Syrian children (6 to 14 years old)
are out of school – an estimated 700,000 children.5 Schools that
are functioning and receiving Syrian refugees are overcrowded
and under-resourced. Host governments, many United Nations
agencies (UNHCR, UNOCHA, UNICEF, UNRWA, UN WOMEN),
and the majority of international nongovernmental organizations
(Save the Children, Mercy Corps, World Vision, A World at School,
CARE) who are working towards solutions developed a strategy
entitled No Lost Generation that focuses on “expanding access to
learning and psychosocial support, strengthening social cohesion
and peace-building efforts, and restoring hope for the future to
millions of children.”6 Unfortunately, results to date have fallen
short of expectations, due to a variety of barriers:
• Political: none of the host countries want Syrian refugees to
settle permanently and, as a result, create administrative and
other barriers
• Economic: cost of living, cost of fees and transportation, and
the need for young people to work to support the family
• Security: dangers on the way to school, especially for girls
• Administrative: refugees not being granted residency; lack of
valid papers or inability to produce previous diplomas or grades;
ineligibility to return to school due to having been out of school
for too long; regular mobility of families
• Institutional: language (English or French in Lebanon); curricula
or programs not being accredited; having to adapt to a
different curriculum; dislike of lower grade placement
• Psychological: trauma, fear of failing, disability, bullying by host
children resulting from being a refugee
Of all the countries taking in Syrian refugees – including Turkey,
Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq – Lebanon is struggling the most in
extending access to education for refugee children. This is
partly because the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon now
represents 25 percent of the overall population7, which will
2 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
undoubtedly change the landscape of Lebanon. One out of
ten people in Lebanon is a child from Syria,8 and the majority
of these children are not in school. Some of these vulnerable
children have been exploited and abused, or trapped in child labor,
early marriage, and extremist movements, while others remain
vulnerable.
The fragile safety and futures for these children are major
concerns for their parents, the government of Lebanon, and
national and international agencies. The lack of basic needs such
as sufficient food and winter clothing means that education
is a secondary priority for many Syrian families. Therefore, the
focus of the pilot project will be education, and we will also seek
to address the more immediate needs of refugee communities
served by this program, alleviating circumstances that contribute
to out-of-school and dropout issues.
A political solution to this fraught situation seems as distant
as ever, and Syrian civilians continue to be victims of what has
become a complex geopolitical, ideological, and sectarian proxy
war with the emergence of extremist jihadist groups such as the
Islamic State. Nevertheless, without education there can be little
hope for the 482,034 Syrian children (age 3 to 17) in Lebanon9 – and
in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt – and for rebuilding
Syria after the conflict.6 (For detailed education facts and figures,
see Appendix B).
The long-term impact of Syrian children never returning to school
has been estimated at 5.4 percent of Syria’s GDP, or $2.1 billion,
according to Save the Children.10 But more important than the
long-term economic impact is the continued suffering of Syria’s
refugee children. They desperately need security, stability, and a
sense of normalcy. Providing effective education in a safe learning
environment would significantly contribute to improving their
current situation and providing hope for the future.
Lebanon’s School System
Education in Lebanon is free and compulsory
from ages 6 to 14. The language of instruction
at the primary and secondary level is Arabic and
the law requires that math and science be taught
in French and English. The education system in
Lebanon is currently overburdened due to the
influx of Syrian refugees and the shortage of
classrooms, trained teachers, and resources.
Academic Calendar: Sept/Oct to June
School Entrance: Age 6
Primary School: Ages 6 to 12
Intermediate School: Ages 12 to 15
Secondary School: Ages 15 to 18
Source: BankMed, Analysis of Lebanon’s Education Sector, 2014.
www.speedschool.org
Current landscape in Lebanon
Gordon Brown, United Nations special envoy for global education,
recently declared: “Despite the wonderful and heroic work of the
international agencies, whose humanity I applaud, millions of children
are falling through the net, trapped between a humanitarian system
that rightly focuses on shelter and food and a development aid
system that does not plan for emergencies.” 11
Indeed, the traditional humanitarian system has been challenged
by the magnitude of the Syrian refugee influx. It is still struggling
to find efficient ways to meet the basic needs of the Syrian
population, both inside Syria and in refugee host countries. In
Lebanon, where Syrian refugees now make up 25 percent of the
population,7 the public education system has been under great
pressure; education in Lebanon has been vastly underfunded and
is still not able to accommodate the increasing number of refugee
children and youth.
The government of Lebanon understands that addressing the
educational needs of disadvantaged Lebanese and Syrian children
represents the best scenario for Lebanon and the surrounding
region. But the refugee crisis has substantially strained Lebanon’s
already limited public education system. Public schools provide
less than 30 percent of Lebanon’s education; this percentage has
been decreasing over the past decade due to concerns about
declining quality. As it stands, 53.7 percent of students are enrolled
in private schools, 13 percent are in free private schools, and 3.3
percent are in other types of schooling.12
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education is committed
to providing education to every child in Lebanon, including
refugees, enrolling close to 110,000 Syrian school-age children
in Lebanese schools – a 21 percent increase from last year.8 Yet,
more than 400,000 Syrian children (3 to 18 years old) in Lebanon
remain out of school. A staggeringly low number of adolescents
have benefited from current support. For example, only 2,000
Syrian refugees aged 15 to 18 are enrolled in secondary school.13
Furthermore, progress has been inadequate in efforts to improve
the quality of education and, as a result, the number of dropouts
is increasing. Despite efforts to provide free learning materials
and teacher trainings, the government-funded schools’ ability to
retain students is poor. In 2011/2012, 70 percent of Syrian children
who enrolled were dropping out of the Lebanese school system.14
Complicating matters further is the difficulty in estimating the
number of out-of-school children. New registration of refugees
has been suspended, per the government of Lebanon’s
instructions.15 Therefore, the official number stands at 1,070,189
Syrians registered with the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, but estimates put the actual number at 1.6 million.14
According to UNICEF, 573,315 of these are children under 18
years old.16 To accommodate them, most public schools have
introduced an afternoon “second shift” with a modified syllabus.
The modified syllabus contains slight adjustments to the official
Lebanese curriculum, including condensed basic subjects or
removed sports classes.
3 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
Beginning with the 2015/2016 school year, the government and
its partners have committed to providing education to an average
of 470,000 Syrian refugee and vulnerable Lebanese children each
year for the next three years.17 This commitment was developed
through the “Reaching All Children with Education” (RACE)
program. This commitment from the Lebanese government
is an important first step, yet several red flags remain. First, it is
unclear how many of the 470,000 RACE beneficiaries will be Syrian
refugees, versus vulnerable Lebanese children. Additionally, the
reality of budget and human resource constraints means the
actual number of children served will likely be much lower than
proposed, leaving potentially tens of thousands without access to
the public education system. For comparison, the RACE program
only enrolled 110,000 school-age children during the 2013/2014
school year, making a new target of 470,000 children for 2015/2016
unrealistically optimistic. Lastly, the government’s school system
continues to struggle with poor quality – this problem has
persisted over the last several years, and it is not anticipated to
change in the immediate future. This reality, coupled with the high
dropout rates thus far, indicate that children will need after-school
help to continue their education successfully.
Many Syrian and Lebanese community-based organizations
have emerged to fill gaps in the formal system by providing
alternatives through informal education programs. However, it is
challenging to evaluate their performance. Some manage thriving
education projects and innovate in a cost-effective way; others
struggle. According to in-country consultants, communitybased organizations have worked quickly to fill the gaps. These
organizations understand the populations extremely well, but
they are not education experts and are therefore limited in their
ability to provide effective programs.18 Additionally, while wellexecuted projects are evident, the overall response by civil society
to informal education is uncoordinated and, as a result, not able
to scale up or realize systemic impact. These projects often have
very short-term goals and objectives due to the short-term
nature of their funding commitments. There is significant room
for improvement in terms of the number of Syrian refugees
served and the quality of service delivered. Our proposed pilot
program will identify the most effective, motivated, and reputable
organizations and work side-by-side to support coordinated
efforts and improved program design for greater impact.
www.speedschool.org
Key considerations
In seeking to address education in Lebanon, it is important to
recognize the challenges already present. These challenges
include: the overwhelming number of school-age children,
sociopolitical and economic implications for the government of
Lebanon, and pre-existing challenges in the public education
sector.
Several surveys have asked Syrian refugees to describe their
barriers to accessing education. The top three reasons cited
for children not attending school are: transportation costs,
lack of opportunity to attend school, and unaffordable tuition.
Surveys and conversations with consultants indicate a lack
of awareness among Syrian refugees about educational and
funding opportunities.18, 19 Safety is another big concern among
Syrian refugees. Harassment by Lebanese nationals is an issue
for Syrian refugees on their way to and from school, or on public
transportation. Some refugee children have to travel through
areas with checkpoints, causing parents to worry for their safety.
Among older Syrian children – particularly those living in rural
areas or informal settlements – child labor is prevalent, including
hazardous work and bonded agricultural labor. Many families and
community leaders prevent children from going to school due to
financial benefits when they work, and do not see the benefits of
an education for the greater family and community.18
Language is also a major challenge to creating educational
programs for both Lebanese and Syrian children. The Ministry of
Education and Higher Education (MEHE) oversees both public
and private education and the Lebanese curriculum. Lebanese
curriculum combines Arabic and one foreign language of
instruction, either English or French, for math and science, unlike
the Syrian curriculum, which is exclusively in Arabic. The need for
students to be well-versed in Arabic as well as English or French is
causing both enrollment and retention issues.
Furthermore, schools’ inability to absorb the large influx of
refugee students is a significant problem. Lebanon, like other
countries hosting refugees, has started two shifts – both taught
in Arabic – for public classes, hoping to provide the opportunity
for more children to attend school. However, their effectiveness is
not clear and concerns remain over the lack of quality. The MEHE
has estimated that the additional cost of teaching each Syrian
refugee child is $600 per year. With MEHE budget shortfalls of
over $140 million, approximately 400,000 refugee children are left
without any access to education in Lebanon.20 When comparing
this with the RACE program’s stated goals, it is clear that providing
an additional 470,000 students education during the 2015/2016
school year will be unlikely.
Refugee students are allowed, in principle, to sit for exams,
yet they cannot obtain the certification without presenting
official documentation from Syria – an unrealistic requirement
for refugee families, many of whom fled home with little, if any,
documentation.
Despite the many challenges highlighted, there is enormous
potential for expansion and coordination in Lebanon’s nonformal education sector by building upon good initiatives already
being implemented by community-based organizations. Many of
these organizations are managing accelerated learning programs
(ALPs) and remedial learning programs (RLPs) in collaboration
with international nongovernmental organizations and with
municipalities. ALPs are designed to help children and youth
complete basic education requirements in a reduced period of
time, using a condensed form of the Lebanese curriculum. The
MEHE, UNICEF, and others have recently finished developing
the ALP curriculum, which is a huge step towards potentially
standardizing the system. RLPs are also important in reducing the
exceptionally high number of refugee children who are dropping
out of public schools. As the MEHE, together with international
stakeholders, works to standardize and scale up ALP and RLP
programs, there is an opportunity for the Speed School Fund to
impart knowledge learned from the Speed School programs in
Africa and contextualize it to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon.
According to Ana Aqra, a Lebanese community-based
organization working with Syrian refugees, refugees are
embracing ALPs and look to the international community for
support in adapting effective ALP programs for the Lebanese
context.18 ALPs have helped children stay in school and provided
them with study techniques to excel in class. Additionally, ALP
classes are teaching students much-needed English and French
language skills. More quantitative research on the effectiveness
of ALPs is planned for the coming years by the World Bank and
UNICEF.
Lebanon’s MEHE is very willing and open to opportunities for
collaboration within the education sector. The government of
Lebanon has shown critical leadership in the face of numerous
challenges, and important progress has already been made.
Funding the “return to education” for out-of-school children and
youth is a key component in equipping young Syrian refugees to
provide for themselves and positively contribute to society, even in
the depths of what is likely to be a protracted refugee situation.
In addition to the overstretched public system, administrative
barriers, such as needing to provide identification and
certification documents from the children’s last year of schooling,
prevent enrollment of a greater number of refugee children.
4 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
www.speedschool.org
Areas in Lebanon with high
numbers of out-of-school children
Source: UNHCR (2014). “Barriers to Education for Syrian Children in Lebanon: Out of School Children Profiling Report.” Geneva: United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees and Research and Consulting House.
5 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
www.speedschool.org
Investment proposal for a
pilot program
Up to 1,500 Syrian refugee children and disadvantaged Lebanese
children can have hope for a brighter future with a $1.1 million
investment in this proposal. This investment would support
a two-year pilot program that would adapt the Speed School
model to enable 15-to-18-year-olds to complete their secondary
education, and help 6-to-14-year-old students to stay – and
succeed – in school. The program would also provide limited
disaster relief in the form of conditional cash transfers to families
in the catchment area, where necessary, to address pressing
needs that contribute significantly to high rates of both out-ofschool children and dropouts. The proposed program would
likely focus on Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, and Beirut areas, due to
the large population of out-of-school youth in the area and also
the number of community-based organizations working on
alternative learning and remedial learning programs locally.
In addition, the program design seeks to build relationships with
key stakeholders in Lebanon’s education sector. This effort
will help to raise the profile of the Speed School Fund and its
methodology as an effective and important intervention in
Lebanon, and potentially in similar contexts.
Model
Focus and activities
Component 1:
Providing a diploma for adolescents
• Accelerated learning for adolescents (15 to 18 years old).
• Three years of secondary school curriculum delivered in two years. Upon completion,
students sit for comprehensive exams to earn a high school diploma.
• Estimated $300,000 investment.
• 250 projected beneficiaries over two years.
Component 2:
Keeping younger children in school
• Remedial learning for children (6 to 14 years old) who are currently out of school, or who
have recently returned to school and need to catch up.
• Awareness-raising campaigns in refugee communities to promote education and
address issues contributing to low enrollment and high dropout rates.
• Estimated $120,000 investment.
• 1,200 projected beneficiaries over two years.
Component 3:
Humanitarian assistance
• Addressing unmet basic needs that contribute to non-enrollment and school dropout
rates.
• Limited use of conditional cash transfer for families whose children are benefiting from
the education programs, contingent on children’s attendance.
• Cash transfers would cover all school costs and contribute to household income.
Component 4:
Participation in Lebanon’s education
community of practice
• Partnering with Lebanon’s Ministry of Education, and potentially participating in the
country’s Education Working Group.
• Sharing relevant lessons from Speed School’s implementation in other contexts.
• Adapting the Speed School model for refugee (and other emergency) contexts.
6 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
www.speedschool.org
Investment proposal for a
pilot program
Providing a diploma
Humanitarian assistance
Research and expert consultants have identified that adolescents
15 to 18 years old are at high risk of remaining out of school, with
only 8 percent in school.21 Many young men are dropping out in
an attempt to find work. Among young women, early marriage
is a more common driver. Minimal progress has been made in
secondary school enrollment.
Syrian refugee families continue to face challenges in meeting
basic needs, despite coordinated international relief efforts
and large financial commitments. Provision of sufficient basic
necessities for the Syrian refugees – such as clothes, food, water,
and shelter – varies from community to community. Unmet
basic needs, in addition to the costs associated with education,
contribute to both non-enrollment and school dropout.
With an investment of $300,000, we estimate that the pilot
program will be able to provide approximately 500 students with
an accelerated high school learning experience. We estimate that
the pilot program could help 250 adolescents (ages 15 to 18) per
academic year receive diplomas through an accelerated learning
program. We will adapt the Speed School model for this context,
using a comprehensive approach that will condense a three-year
high school curriculum into two academic years. Students will be
selected for and accepted into the accelerated program based
on academic admissions requirements (entrance exams). We will
work with the government to ensure that these students will be
able to sit for their comprehensive exams upon completion of
the accelerated program and, if they pass, receive a high school
completion diploma.
Keeping children (ages 6 to 14) in school
To complement the activities of RACE, the government-run
education program, we propose piloting a remedial learning
program for children who are currently out of school, or who have
recently returned to school and need to catch up. In 2011/2012,
the dropout rate of Syrian children reached 70 percent.14 Moreover,
failure rates among Syrian children are twice the national average
of local Lebanese students.17
With an investment of $120,000 over two school years, we
estimate impacting 1,200 children by helping out-of-school
children to re-enter the school system and ensuring that those
currently enrolled are less likely to drop out. The pilot will focus on
remedial learning – the exact shape of the program will be further
defined at the strategy development stage. We will work with
community-based organizations providing education support to
public school students, to help them to scale up their programs,
including RLP and homework clubs. The programs would be
comprehensive, providing remedial learning programs and also
awareness-raising campaigns in their communities to help Syrian
refugees understand the benefits of going to school and the
increased possibilities available upon graduation. Additionally,
organizations will work with communities to address issues
contributing to low school enrollment and high dropout rates.
7 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
We recommend providing targeted immediate relief, where
necessary and possible, for communities benefiting from the
education program through the limited use of conditional cash
transfers. In the appropriate circumstances, conditional cash
transfers can be an effective short- and long-term response
option to fill gaps in relief efforts while also supporting local
economic growth. This approach empowers families to purchase
what they most need. Therefore, conditional cash transfers will
be provided to those families whose children are participating
in the high school diploma program and remedial education,
contingent on their children’s attendance. The amount of cash
transfer provided will be determined in the program’s setup
phase, and would be enough to cover all school costs and make a
meaningful contribution to the family’s household income. As with
other elements of the program, it will be implemented by local
community-based organizations that we will work closely with.
Participation in the education community of
practice in Lebanon
The Ministry of Education, together with UNICEF and the Center
for Educational Research and Development (a national Lebanese
organization), has created an accelerated learning curriculum
designed for grades 1 to 9 and intended for out-of-school
children who have missed school for more than two years.22 The
first cohort of students will be starting shortly. The Government
of Lebanon’s interest in partnering with others to deliver ALP
curriculum provides ideal timing for the implementation of the
Speed School model, focused on secondary education, in this
context. It allows the pilot program an opportunity to adapt the
core of the Speed School model to a refugee context on a pilot
scale. It also potentially gives the pilot program a seat at the table
in the country’s Education Working Group, allowing us to share
relevant lessons learned from Speed School implementation in
other contexts as well as to advocate for best practices in this
context.
www.speedschool.org
Projected budget
The budget below represents the proposed investment for an
initial nine-month planning phase, followed by two academic
years. The program is projected to conclude in August of 2018.
Proposed Distribution
Planning phase
2016
January-September
2016/17
Academic Year
2017/18
Academic Year
Total
$200,000
-
-
$200,000
Grants to implementing partners*
-
$200,000
$400,000
$600,000
Capacity building
-
$20,000
$30,000
$50,000
Monitoring and evaluation
-
$10,000
$40,000
$50,000
Coalition building and learning
-
$10,000
$10,000
$20,000
Geneva Global service fee
Total Investment
-
$60,000
$120,000
$180,000
$200,000
$300,000
$600,000
$1,100,000
* Estimating two implementing partners for the first and second academic
year, plus two new implementing partner organizations in the second
academic year.
A classroom in Istanbul, Turkey—one of four schools that provide free education for Syrian refugees. Photo: Gioia Forster/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images.
8 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
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Risk assessment - Medium
Risk
Level
Impact to
program Mitigation
1. War spreads to host
countries
Medium
High
If war spreads to Lebanon, the program will, at best, be disrupted and, at
worst, be brought to an end. While this outcome does not seem likely, the
situation in the region is clearly volatile and unpredictable.
2. Government of Lebanon
not willing or able to provide
graduation certificates for
older youth
Medium
High
Should this proposal be approved, Geneva Global would undertake an
exploratory trip, at which time conversations with appropriate government
officials would be held to assess the feasibility of the diploma program.
3. Tensions with host
communities rise
Medium
Medium
Community-based organizations will ensure that programs do not exclude
host communities and, if appropriate, include the local community in the
program. For example, remedial and diploma classes may include some
disadvantaged Lebanese adolescents living in the same communities as
Syrian refugees.
4. Students drop out for
economic and other
reasons
Medium
High
Financial support for the most destitute families must include fees for
transportation, and basic supplies will be provided by the community-based
organizations funded by the pilot program. The involvement and support
of the parents, teachers, and community committees will be key in keeping
the students in school.
Low
Medium
Providing humanitarian assistance to the local communities will need to be
done with care and support from local leaders.
5. Lack of trust in host
communities
Potential Partner Spotlight - Ana Aqra Association
Ana Aqra Association is a Lebanese nonprofit, and one of many local
actors providing educational opportunities for Syrian children. Founded
in 1994, Ana Aqra aims to improve the reading skills of children while also
engaging teachers, parents, and community members in the process. The
organization works closely with the MEHE to advance literacy and integrate
reading into the public curriculum in Lebanese elementary schools.
In 2010, Ana Aqra expanded its existing work as it saw a need for nonformal education to meet the needs of Syrian refugee children. The
program serves as a bridge to formal schooling while also raising the
quality of teaching and learning. Over the past three years, Ana Aqra’s
program responded to the needs of 15,000 out-of-school Syrians and
5,000 Lebanese children. It has also improved the class management and
teaching skills of 700 educators.
(See Appendix E for a list of potential partners.)
9 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
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Path to implementation
Upon acceptance of the proposal, Geneva Global would
undertake further exploration to finalize an implementation
strategy. The Program Strategy and Design phase would require
an investment of $70,000 to $100,000 and would take place over
the course of approximately four months. In order to be ready to
launch implementation in September, at the start of the academic
year, the Strategy and Design phase would need to move
immediately into the Program Setup phase. (See Appendix A for
Gantt chart details.)
Program Strategy and Design, and Program
Setup (9 months) – January to September 2015
• In-country visit and assessment: Travel to Lebanon to meet
with a number of organizations already working with refugee
communities. Speak with Syrian refugees to discuss their
immediate needs, and identify and contract potential program
managers we could work with on the ground.
• Needs assessment: Work with local actors to develop a
landscape of the existing alternative learning programs (ALP).
Additionally, develop an understanding of the larger picture
within the Lebanese education system – determining who the
actors are that we will need to engage with, in order to ensure
that we have a voice at the national and international table
when discussing ALP for Syrian refugees and disadvantaged
Lebanese.
• Short-list, select, and qualify partner organizations: Final
selection of partner organizations will be determined based
on which local NGOs are best located and best qualified to
implement the program components. Geneva Global’s due
diligence process will ensure the selection of high quality
candidates. We will review all curriculum currently being used by
partners and potentially create a standardized curriculum to be
used among all partners.
• Humanitarian assistance: Each implementing partner will
start developing their own conditional cash transfer programs,
based on the results of the needs assessment.
• Capacity building and program monitoring plan: Following
completion of due diligence, Geneva Global will create an
initial capacity building and program monitoring plan. This plan
will inform resource deployment and a schedule for capacity
building of partner organizations, as well as the schedule and
priority for program monitoring.
• Grant to initial partners in Lebanon: An estimated two qualified
partners in Lebanon would receive grants the first year.
10 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
Implementation and Program Management –
October 2016 to August 2018
• Launch and continue capacity building activities and
monitoring: Activities will be based on the initial plan, which
will be revised continuously as the program evolves and new
findings are identified.
• Plan for scale-up: The program will potentially scale up for
the second academic year based on f indings from the f irst
academic year, granting to one or two additional organizations
as well as funding prior partners based on performance.
• Scale-up or scale-down recommendation: At the end of the
second year, Geneva Global will conduct a f inal evaluation to
determine program effectiveness and impact. Based on the
findings, we can recommend revisions to the pilot program to
increase effectiveness and then evaluate the feasibility and
benefit of further program scale-up.
• Active voice in the national and international scene: Ensure
that the program continually meets with key stakeholders,
including the Ministry of Education, Save the Children, UNICEF,
World Bank, and others who are playing a role in shaping
the education prospects for Syrian refugee youth as well as
disadvantaged Lebanese youth.
www.speedschool.org
Syrian refugees officially registered
in Lebanon as of 31 October 2015
Source: http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/download.php?id=9822
11 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
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Citations
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
December 2015. www.unocha.org
1
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. February 7, 2015. “About 2 million
killed and wounded in 47 months, and it is still not enough.” http://syriahr.
com/en/2015/02/about-2-millions-killed-and-wounded-in-47-monthsand-it-is-still-not-enough/
2
UNICEF. March 2014. “Under Siege: The devastating impact on children
of three years of conflict in Syria.” http://www.unicef.org/publications/
index_72815.html
3
4
UNICEF. December 2015. www.childrenofSyria.info
5
Theirworld. November 2015. www.theirworld.org
6
UNICEF. January 2014. “No Lost Generation: Protecting the futures of
children affected by the crisis in Syria.” http:// www.unicef.org/appeals/
files/no_Lost_Generation_Strategic_ overview__January_2014.pdf
UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP. 2015. “Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian
Refugees (VASyR) in Lebanon.” Numbers vary by source since Syrian
refugees are no longer able to register.
7
Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Lebanon. 2015. “Reaching
All Children with Education in Lebanon.”
8
UNICEF, Inter Agency Coordination Lebanon. November 30,
2015. “Lebanon-Education Dashboard, September-October
2015.” http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/documents.
php?page=1&view=grid&Country[]=122&Sector[]=10
UNICEF, Inter Agency Coordination Lebanon. “November 2015
dashboard.” http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/documents.
php?page=1&view=grid&Country[]=122&Sector[]=10
16
Lebanon Ministry of Education and Higher Education. 2014. “Reaching
All Children with Education in Lebanon R.A.C.E.” http://www.mehe.gov.lb/
uploads/file/2015/Feb2015/Projects/RACEfinalEnglish2.pdf
17
Isakov, Claude. Independent Consultant and ALP Expert in Lebanon.
Interview: December 16, 2015.
18
UNICEF, REACH, and UNHCR. November 2014. “Out of School Children
Profiling Report.” Joint Education Needs Assessment— Education Sector
Working Group, March 2015.
19
20
Government of Lebanon and the United Nations. December 2014.
“Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2015-16.” http://data.unhcr.org/
syrianrefugees/regional.php
UNHCR. August 2014. “Syrian Refugee Situation Analysis of Youth in
Lebanon.” http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/download.php?id=6765
21
UNICEF, Unite for Children. March 2015. “Curriculum, Accreditation and
Certification for Syrian Children in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq
and Egypt. Regional Study.” http://www.oosci-mena.org/uploads/1/
wysiwyg/150527_CAC_for_Syrian_children_report_final.pdf
22
9
Lee, Mathilda. “Education without borders: teaching Syria’s lost
generation. The Guardian. August 19, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/
sustainable-business/2015/aug/19/syria-refugee-crisis-educationteaching-lost-generation-children
10
The Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown. September 10, 2015. “UN Special
Envoy Gordon Brown backs plan to get 1 million Syrian refugees into
school.” http://gordonandsarahbrown.com/2015/09/un-special-envoygordon-brown-backs-plan-to-get-1-million-syrian-refugees-into11
school/#sthash.4Htnz3Wo.dpuf
Banque BEMO, BEMO Industry Report. August 2014. “Education in
Lebanon.” http://www.bemobank.com/sites/default/files/financial_
markete_reports/Education%20in%20Lebanon%20report.pdf
12
UNDP, Inter Agency Coordination Lebanon. 2015. “Support to Lebanese
Host Communities and Public Institutions.” http://www.lb.undp.org/
content/lebanon/en/home/library/poverty/support-to-the-lebanesehost-communities-and-public-institutions.html
13
UNHCR. 2014. “Barriers to Education for Syrian Children in Lebanon:
Out of School Children Profiling Report. https://www.ecoi.net/
file_upload/1930_1416914829_reach-lbn-report-syriacrisisoutofschoolchildrenprofiling-nov2014.pdf
14
15
UNHCR. www.data.unhcr.org
12 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
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Sources and References
ACAPS. SNAP Project. http://www.acaps.org/en/pages/syria-snapproject
ACAPS. February 2015. “Syria four years on: No end in sight.” http://
acaps.org/img/documents/s-acaps-report-syria-4-years-on_13_
march_2015.pdf
Badael and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. 2014. “Activism in Difficult Times:
Civil Society Groups in Syria, 2011-2014.” http://badael.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/01/Activism-in-Difficult-Times.-Civil-Society-Groups-inSyria-2011-2014.pdf
Cagaptay, Soner and Menekse, Bilge. July 2014. “The impact of Syrian
refugees on Southern Turkey.” The Washington Institute for Near East
Policy. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/
PolicyFocus130_Cagaptay_Revised3s.pdf
CARE Jordan. April 2014. “Lives Unseen: urban Syrian refugees and
Jordanian host communities three years into the Syria crisis.” http://
insights.careinternational.org.uk/publications/lives-unseen-urbansyrian-refugees-and-jordanian-host-communities-three-years-intothe-syria-crisis
CARE Jordan and Silatech. June 2015. “Baseline Assessment of Skills
and Market Opportunities for Youth in Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan.”
http://www.care.org/sites/default/files/documents/Summary-AzraqAssessment-web-FINAL%2029-June15.pdf
Centre for Lebanese Studies, UNHCR, UNESCO, UNICEF. June 2015.
“Scaling Up Quality Education Provision for Syrian Children and Children in
Vulnerable Host Communities.” Report of the Sub-Regional Conference,
June 17-19, 2014, Amman, Jordan. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
images/0023/002338/233895e.pdf
Chatty, Dawn. September 2014. “Ensuring quality education for young
refugees from Syria (12-25 years): A mapping exercise.” University of
Oxford, Refugees Studies Centre, Oxford department of international
development. http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/files/publications/other/rr-syriayouth-education-2014.pdf
Chatty, Dawn. December 2015. “The Syrian Humanitarian Disaster:
Disparities in Perceptions, Aspirations and Behaviour in Lebanon,
Jordan and Turkey.” University of Oxford, Refugees Studies Centre, RSC
Research in Brief 3. http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-syrianhumanitarian-disaster-disparities-in-perceptions-aspirations-andbehaviour-in-lebanon-jordan-and-turkey
Citizens For Syria. November 2015. “Mapping the Syrian civil society actors.
Phase one.” https://citizensforsyria.org/OrgLiterature/CfS-mappingphase1-EN.pdf
Ferris, Elizabeth. July 8, 2013. “The Syrian Humanitarian Crisis:
Five Uncomfortable Questions for the International Community.”
Brookings Institution. http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/
posts/2013/07/08-syria_humanitarian-crisis
Khalaf, Rana. 2015. “Governance without Government in Syria: Civil Society
and State Building during Conflict.” Syria Studies Center, vol. 7, no 3. http://
ojs.st-andrews.ac.uk/index.php/syria/article/view/1176/911
Kutlu, Anadolu. 2015. “From the Ante-Chamber to the Living Room:
A Brief Assessment of NGOs doing work for Syrian refugees.” Open
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Society Foundation. http://www.anadolukultur.org/images/UserFiles/
Documents/Editor/From_The_Ante_Chamber_to_the_Living_Room.
pdf
International Labour Organisation, Regional Office for the Arab States.
April 2014. “Assessment of the impact of Syrian refugees in Lebanon
and their employment profile.” http://www.ilo.org/beirut/publications/
WCMS_240134/lang--en/index.htm
Jalbout, Maysa. April 2015. “Reaching All Children with Education in
Lebanon: Opportunities for Action.” Theirworld and a World at School.
http://www.alnap.org/pool/files/269-425e9dbef2c7ca9980-tom6bga7x.
pdf
Mercy Corps. September 2014. “Syrian Adolescents: Their Tomorrow
Begins Today.” http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/research-resources/
advancing-adolescence
Overseas Development Institute, Humanitarian Policy Group. 2013. “The
conflict in Syria.” Humanitarian Exchange, Number 59. http://odihpn.org/
wp-content/uploads/2013/11/HE_59_web.pdf
Shuayb, Maha, and Makkouk, Nisrine, and Tuttunji, Suha. September 2014.
“Widening Access to Quality Education for Syrian Refugees: The Role
of Private and NGO Sectors in Lebanon.” Centre for Lebanese Studies.
http://lebanesestudies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/WideningAccess-to-Quality-Education-for-Syrian-Refugees-the-role-privateand-NGO-sectors-in-Lebanon-.pdf
Svoboda, Eva. April 2014. “Addressing protection needs in Syria:
overlooked, difficult, impossible?” Overseas Development Institute,
Humanitarian Policy Group. Policy Brief 57. http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.
org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8918.pdf
UNESCO. February 2015. “Bridging Learning Gaps for the Youth: UNESCO
Education Response to the Syria Crisis (2015-2016).” http://www.unesco.
org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/PCPD/pdf/Bridging_Learning_
gaps_for_the_youth.pdf
UNHCR. 2013. “Syrian Regional Response Plan: January to December
2013.” http://www.unhcr.org/51b0a56d6.html
UNRWA. June 2013. “The Syrian Catastrophe: Socioeconomic monitoring
report.” First quarterly report, January-March 2013. http://www.refworld.
org/docid/520dfa414.html
Unite Lebanon Youth Project. Annual Report 2014. www.
unitelebanonyouth.org
Ward, Sally. July 17, 2014. “What’s happening to Syria’s students during
the conflict?” https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/whatshappening-to-syrias-students-during-the-conflict
Watkins, Kevin. September 23, 2013. “Education without Borders: A report
from Lebanon on Syria’s out-of-school children.” A World at School.
http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publicationsopinion-files/8575.pdf
Watkins, Kevin and Zyck, Steven A. September 2014. “Living on hope,
hoping for education: the failed response to the Syrian refugee crisis.”
Overseas Development Institute. http://www.odi.org/publications/8829syria-refugee-education-crisis-hope
www.speedschool.org
Appendices
Appendix A
Please see attached file.
Appendix B
School-age Syrian refugee children—age between 3 and 17
(Source: UNHCR, Monthly Dashboard September–October 2015)
482,034
School-age Palestinian refugees from Syria—age between 2 and 17
(Source: UNRWA, November 2015)
10,950
School-age vulnerable Lebanese children—age between 3 and 17
(Source: Population, CDR shape file 2002)
453,450
Percentage of Lebanese children enrolled in the public education system 2014-2015
(Source: CERD 2013-2014 Yearly Bulletin)
30.9%
Number of public schools in Lebanon
(Source: MEHE, November 2015)
1,266
Number of public schools operating a second shift for the 2015-2016 school year
(Source: MEHE, November 2015)
238
Total number of enrolled non-Lebanese in first shift in 2015-2016 school year
(Source: MEHE, November 2015)
62,500
Total number of enrolled non-Lebanese in second shift in 2015-2016 school year
(Source: MEHE, November 2015)
92,595
Total number of enrolled Lebanese in 2015-2016 school year
(Source: MEHE, November 2015)
196,000
Appendix C
Children reached with education
support
Country
Adolescents reached with
Children reached with psychosocial increased opportunities, including
support
vocational/life skills training
Result
Target
Result
Target
Result
Target
Syria
473,094
3,900,000
74,486
500,000
27,509
200,000
Lebanon
216,527
344,000
285,021
300,000
20,099
35,000
Jordan
148,636
295,500
204,703
298,960
2,965
30,500
Iraq
40,683
76,156
63,665
167,000
Turkey
107,714
305,280
29,590
103,500
Egypt
41,240
72,000
4,216
40,000
14 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
Data not available
9,980
180,000
Data not available
www.speedschool.org
Appendix D
2013/14 School Year
Age Group
2014/15 School Year
Total Number
Number
Enrolled
Percentage
Enrolled
Total Number
Number
Enrolled
Percentage
Enrolled
3-5 years
133,000
n/a
n/a
134,000
10,000
0%
6-14 years
280,000
87,000
31%
291,000
107,000
37%
15-18 years
81,000
3,000
4%
87,000
2,000
2%
6-18 years
361,000
90,000
25%
378,000
109,000
21%
3-18 years
494,000
92,000
19%
512,000
109,000
29%
Information for 2013/14 from the government of Lebanon (2015) and CERD 2014/15 from UN statistics.
Appendix E
In Lebanon, the following CBOs are among the most experienced working in the area of accelerated learning. Geneva Global will need
to create a short list of potential grantees, beginning with a determination of eligibility to receive international funding and capacity to
implement program components. Short-listed partners will then be fully vetting using Geneva Global’s due diligence process prior to
finalizing grant agreements.
Organization
Area(s) of work
Focus and activities
Ana Aqra
Beirut, Bekaa, Mount
Offers basic non-formal literacy, ALP classes, and psychosocial support
Lebanon, and South Lebanon activities in 12-week sessions focusing specifically on Syrian refugees.
Nabaa
Working in and around six
camps: Nahr el-Bared,
Beddawi, Ein el-Helweh,
Rashidye, El-Buss, and Burj
el-Shemali Camp
Basmeh and
Zeitouneh
Beirut, Bourj el Barajne, Tripoli, Nonprofit specifically focused on education and health. Working to continually
and the Bekaa Valley
conduct field visits to areas with high concentrations of the most marginalized
and neediest Syrian refugees and fill the gaps that exist,
Started as a Lebanese organization working with Palestinian and Lebanese
communities, creating an environment in which children can develop. Since
Syrian refugees are now living in close proximity to where Nabaa is working
they have started to work with Syrian refugees as well.
Unite Lebanon Youth Dibbiyeh
Project (ULYP)
Works with marginalized children and youth to teach them through arts,
sports, and other recreational activities, English, IT.
Jusoor
Kaskas and Bekaa
NGO of Syrian expatriates supporting Syrian youth through programs in the
fields of education and career development.
Alphabet
Syrian refugee camps in
Lebanon
Builds educational facilities in Syrian refugee camps and ensures the continuity
of the current education camps.
Sonbola
Bekaa
The projects target children who are outside the scope of education and of
psychological and basic service needs, focusing specifically on non-formal
education programs.
Yalla! For children’s
schooling
Beirut and Aley
Working with trained Syrian teachers, who are themselves refugees, and with
members of the Lebanese civil society, Yalla helps to provide non-formal
education for Syrian refugee children.
Women Now for
Development
Northeastern Lebanon
Focused on women and children, providing them with the ability to attend
alternative educational programs and working with vulnerable children to
protect them from violence.
15 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
www.speedschool.org
The Speed School Fund
The Speed School Fund
Anchor donor
The Speed School programme is a comprehensive response to
help out-of-school children get back to and learn in school. In
just ten months, using an accelerated learning approach, Speed
School equips children with the reading, writing and maths skills
they need to enter mainstream school in fourth grade. The
programme has helped over 100,000 children back to school in
West Africa and Ethiopia.
The Legatum Foundation is the development arm of the
Legatum Group, a global private investment firm which allocates
capital to projects, people and ideas that create sustainable
prosperity. The Foundation invests in community-based
organisations and projects that have impacted the lives of over
100 million people since 1999.
In 2015, with the concept proven, Legatum announced plans
to scale the programme committing US $10 million into a
pooled funding vehicle called the Speed School Fund enabling
many more donors to collaborate in raising US $250 million and
impacting six million out-of-school children.
For more details visit www.speedschool.org
Caitlin Baron
Chief Executive Officer
1536 E. Lancaster Avenue
Paoli, PA 19301
United States
Office
Email
+1 610 254 0000
[email protected]
In addition to the Speed School Fund, Legatum has incubated
and launched philanthropic investment funds such as The END
Fund and The Freedom Fund to address global challenges.
To learn more visit www.legatum.org.
Fund manager
Geneva Global is an innovative social enterprise that works with
clients to maximise the performance of their global philanthropic
and social impact initiatives. Geneva Global provides strategic
advice, independent research, and programme management.
Their work on behalf of clients has directly benefited more than
60 million people through 1,500 projects in over 100 countries.
To learn more visit www.genevaglobal.com.
Copyright 2016 Geneva Global, Inc. All rights reserved.
Do not duplicate, reproduce in any form in full or in part, or rewrite
without written permission.
The opinions expressed herein are informed judgments based
on research, but no warranty is offered or implied as to the
performance of the project reviewed. The proprietary report was
prepared exclusively for Geneva Global clients and their partners.
16 · Education for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Prepared 29 January 2016
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