In 2012, 11-year-old Anisa fled with her family to Lebanon after the Syrian conflict brought bombing and gunfire to Aleppo, her hometown. After a dangerous journey, Anisa and her family struggled to find a place to live as they faced discrimination. It wasn’t until four years later that she was able to resume her studies.

The story of Anisa, a participant in the youth club of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Lebanon is not unique. Every day, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) sees how refugees and Lebanese children are being denied their fundamental human right to quality education. 

This situation is mirrored in many parts of the Global South.  Around the world, UNESCO estimates that one in five children ages six to 18 are not in school because of factors such as poverty, gender, ethnicity, religion, cultural identity, and displacement.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the right to education as inherent to the dignity of all human beings and essential for the exercise of other human rights.

But not everyone is able to avail themselves of this right, especially girls in the Global South. “Three quarters of all primary-age children worldwide- nine million- who may never set foot in school, are girls,” says UNESCO. Factors that hinder girls’ education include poverty, gender bias and stereotypes, child marriage, and violence (about 60 million girls are sexually assaulted on their way to or at school, according to The Global Women’s Institute.)

Countless studies point to the benefits of educating girls, not just at an individual, but societal level. “When girls are educated, their lives, the lives of their children, families, communities and countries improve,” states UNESCO. “Health, education, social, economic and leadership prospects increase while vulnerability to poverty, disease, exploitation and violence decreases.”
Migrant and refugee children face their own hurdles. Nearly half of all refugee children (48%) remain out of school, according to the UN refugee agency.

Quality, safe education is critical in helping refugee children and youth to rebuild and improve their lives. It helps protect them from forced recruitment into armed militias, child labour, child marriage and sexual exploitation.

It is not enough to provide schools and places of learning.  Efforts must consider the challenges that disadvantaged, marginalized, and traumatized children and families face.   

Lebanon offers an example. The Covid-19 pandemic, the collapse of the Lebanese currency and the 2020 Beirut explosion have triggered economic and political turmoil. According to UNICEF, 700,000 children need help. Public schools close for long periods as teachers go on strike due to poor wages. Some students have stopped going to school as families take desperate measures to survive by marrying off their children, mostly girls, or sending them to work.

JRS offers formal and non-formal education to help alleviate the situation. With six primary schools in the Bekaa Valley (including several in tented settlements) and two centres in suburban settings, it serves around 3,000 children. Students receive nutritious snacks and have access to psychosocial support. JRS provides food baskets and winter kits to students who walk kilometres in rain and snow to come to school.  Social workers and psychologists facilitate awareness sessions for students and parents to educate them about legal matters, discourage early childhood marriage, prevent domestic abuse, among others.

While our programs can still improve, especially by being more inclusive of children with disabilities, they have been effective. Parents speak of being dissuaded from marrying their daughters off after attending our awareness session; parents benefit from our vocational classes for adults.
Some challenges remain, including the insidious effects of discrimination. Some services have had to be relocated following protests from local communities who argued that educating refugees discourages them from returning to their homes. Refugees, however, have nowhere else to go.

JRS acknowledges the difficulties that host communities, who are themselves struggling, face. But we make them aware that education for all leads to greater social benefit.
JRS students are eager to learn and share their knowledge. Amro, whose family fled the Syrian conflict, delights people with creative gadgets that he builds from recycled materials. Some of his creations include a cleaning robot made of discarded console boxes, and a cardboard car for waste sorting.

Given a chance, it could be the case that those who are thought of as the "problems" of today, will offer the solutions of tomorrow.

Heba Al Basha is country director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Lebanon.