Canadian Jesuits International supports the work of Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) in Lebanon. JRS provides emergency assistance to Syrian refugee families and educational opportunities to Syrian children.
Through its Family Support Program, JRS works to improve the living conditions of 800 Syrian refugee families in Beirut, Bekaa, Byblos, and Mount Lebanon. JRS teams conduct needs assessments through regular family visits and provide assistance in the form of monthly food baskets, winter clothing and blankets, and other basic supplies.
On the education front, JRS is working to increase the enrollment and retention rate of Syrian refugee children in the local Lebanese education system. This is achieved primarily through the implementation of an Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) in French, English, Arabic, mathematics, art, peace education, sports and computer classes. ALP is designed for children between the ages of 8 and 16. Kindergarten programs are also offered for children ages 3 to 7.
Since the beginning of the influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon, the Lebanese government has been trying to facilitate access to education for Syrian children. However, the final decision to enroll a Syrian refugee in a Lebanese public school is left to school principals. In many cases, principals give priority to Lebanese students, leaving Syrian children behind. The cost of education, including transportation fees, lack of school supplies and administrative constraints, also prevent many struggling families from sending their children to school.
Lebanon hosts nearly 470,000 registered school-age Syrian refugee children and youth between the ages of 3 and 23, according to the latest statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, September 2023). UNHCR said 44% of those ages 6 to 17 are out of school, while 35% of youth ages 15 to 24 have never attended school.
Since the Syrian crisis started, education has received too little attention from humanitarian groups. This is having profound consequences. Children who remain out of school face threats of early marriage and child labour, and young people become frustrated and vulnerable to recruitment by radical groups like ISIS. While education cannot fully answer these threats, the hope it offers can greatly diminish them.
A new strategy called RACE (Reaching All Children with Education) has been adopted by the Government of Lebanon to get all refugee children into education. The implementation of RACE has a long way to go because the educational background of Syrian children is quite different from Lebanese children and the failure rate for entrance exams is high. But JRS is one agency that is committed to helping Syrian refugee children meet the requirements of the Lebanese curriculum by tackling areas of special need through their programs.
JRS Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Fr Daniel Corrou SJ
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