Financial Challenges for Syrian Refugees
When talking about the education system in Lebanon, it’s important to remember that it is highly privatized. In fact, only 30% of Lebanese children are enrolled in public schools. The other 70% attend private schools. “The mass influx of refugees has increased the demand on the public education system in Lebanon by doubling the number of education spaces required” (3RP Report). Organizations like UNHCR have tried to develop programs in partnership with multiple NGOs or other non-profit organizations but “in the last few years, UNHCR has been undergoing a financial crisis. Lack of adequate funding is a major reason for poor quality in refugee education. It can even lead to schools closing down” (Brown, p. 122). Many of the financial hardships that Syrian children face are tuition, cost of school supplies, and supporting their family. Very often, children will drop out of school to work in order to support their family. In other instances, especially with families who have multiple children, the male child will be sent to school while the female child will be kept at home to help work and eventually marry through an arranged marriage.
Financial constraint has been identified as one of the leading barriers that hinder Syrian refugees from accessing education. “the prevalence of an inability of Syrian refugees to cover tuition fees as primary factor driving non-enrollment indicates that a lack of awareness of available educational support is likely behind this and a number of other barriers” (REACH). Refugees who are fleeing their homes are thinking about nothing other than getting themselves and their families to safety. This means they are leaving virtually everything behind, except the clothes on their back and very basic supplies for the hard journey ahead. Therefore, Syrian refugees are arriving completely broke without any money to pay for food, let alone tuition, school supplies, or transportation fees. Even Lebanese children in Lebanon do not attend public school alone and it costs $60 per child per year. In order to even have a small space to live, refugees need to pay rent and most take jobs in agriculture working long hours in fields.
Fortunately, there are a host of international organizations and NGOs combining efforts to raise money and support access to education for refugees. As of September 2015, the Ministry of Education launched a nationwide campaign titled 'Back to School' which enabled all parents to register their children for school in Lebanon (both refugees and Lebanese children). The campaign, titled 'Back to School', raised "US $94 million through UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Bank and bilateral donors" (UNHCR) allowing "200,000 Syrian refugee children between the ages of three and 14 to access certified basic education - nearly double the 106,000 children reached last year" (UNHCR).
