Turkey is currently hosting an estimated 700,000 Syrian refugees. Because an unknown number of refugees are unregistered, this number is actually probably much higher. Over 200,000 Syrians live in 22 camps designed and operated by the Turkish Government’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) on the Syrian border. The Turkish government has spent over $2 billion providing shelter, food, health, and education services to Syrians living inside of the camps. Their efforts have been praised by the international community, and the camp in Kilis is viewed as a model refugee camp. However, most Syrians in Turkey (64 percent) are actually living outside of these camps in cities across the country, and therefore do not have access to all of the camp services. Without these services, to what extent do Syrians have access to basic necessities?
To attempt to answer this question, AFAD surveyed Syrians living inside and outside of camps about their access to food, shelter, income, and health and education services. The results were released in January. Not surprisingly, the report shows that there are large disparities between Syrians living inside and outside of camps, none more striking than those differences regarding access to education.
AFAD reports that while 83% of children ages 6 to 11 years old in camps attend school, only 14% of their peers outside of camps are attending. I spoke with a researcher at the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) who is doing work on Syrian refugees’ access to education in Syria, and she argues that registration remains a huge barrier to enrollment. Only those Syrians who have passports are eligible for a residence permit, and only children from households with residence permits are able to enroll in Turkish schools. Many Syrians do not have passports, and are therefore not eligible for residence permits that would allow their children to attend school. She went on to say that Syrians might simply choose not to register. They may not want the authorities to know who they are or where they are. A clinical psychologist working with an organization providing services to Syrian refugees in Istanbul pointed out that enrollment and attendance among Syrians varies between neighborhoods. In areas farther from educational facilities, she says fewer children are attending school. Further, Turkish language skills remain a barrier to school enrollment. The researcher at USAK says that younger Syrian children are much more likely to enroll in Turkish schools than children older than third grade, because they can more easily learn Turkish and are usually more accepted by their peers. She says older children prefer to enroll in Arabic-medium Syrian schools. She points out that whether Syrians want to attend Turkish schools at all remains an important question.
Additionally, both the researcher and psychologist raised concerns about child marriage among Syrian girls. In their work, they have seen a tendency among families to prefer to have their daughters marry at 13 or 14 so they can have proper housing and access to other necessities. This alarming trend negatively impacts these girls’ ability to participate in educational opportunities, and illustrates the need for child protection services among non-camp refugees.
Outside of camps, educational activities for Syrians are being provided through Turkish schools, Syrian schools, NGOs, municipalities, and others. According to the AFAD report, of those Syrian children ages 6 to 11 who are attending school outside of camps, 31 percent are formally attending Turkish schools and 25 percent are attending as guests. An additional 33 percent are attending schools provided by NGOs, municipalities, or Syrian citizens.
Much about the quality of education provided for Syrians remains unknown, and anecdotally, several concerns have been raised. At the Turkish schools, language barriers are creating problems for learning achievement. The psychologist at an organization providing services for Syrians in Istanbul said that while many of the children they work with are attending Turkish schools, they are not learning much. The lessons are conducted in Turkish and they cannot understand. Further, not much is known about what is being taught in Syrian community schools, the quality of what is being taught, and the ethics of the education provided. The Ministry of Education is supposed to be coordinating and monitoring these community schools, but their capacity is limited and resources are constrained. More effort is needed to understand what is happening in these schools, what is being provided, and what needs to be done to provide the educational services demanded.
To attempt to answer this question, AFAD surveyed Syrians living inside and outside of camps about their access to food, shelter, income, and health and education services. The results were released in January. Not surprisingly, the report shows that there are large disparities between Syrians living inside and outside of camps, none more striking than those differences regarding access to education.
AFAD reports that while 83% of children ages 6 to 11 years old in camps attend school, only 14% of their peers outside of camps are attending. I spoke with a researcher at the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) who is doing work on Syrian refugees’ access to education in Syria, and she argues that registration remains a huge barrier to enrollment. Only those Syrians who have passports are eligible for a residence permit, and only children from households with residence permits are able to enroll in Turkish schools. Many Syrians do not have passports, and are therefore not eligible for residence permits that would allow their children to attend school. She went on to say that Syrians might simply choose not to register. They may not want the authorities to know who they are or where they are. A clinical psychologist working with an organization providing services to Syrian refugees in Istanbul pointed out that enrollment and attendance among Syrians varies between neighborhoods. In areas farther from educational facilities, she says fewer children are attending school. Further, Turkish language skills remain a barrier to school enrollment. The researcher at USAK says that younger Syrian children are much more likely to enroll in Turkish schools than children older than third grade, because they can more easily learn Turkish and are usually more accepted by their peers. She says older children prefer to enroll in Arabic-medium Syrian schools. She points out that whether Syrians want to attend Turkish schools at all remains an important question.
Additionally, both the researcher and psychologist raised concerns about child marriage among Syrian girls. In their work, they have seen a tendency among families to prefer to have their daughters marry at 13 or 14 so they can have proper housing and access to other necessities. This alarming trend negatively impacts these girls’ ability to participate in educational opportunities, and illustrates the need for child protection services among non-camp refugees.
Outside of camps, educational activities for Syrians are being provided through Turkish schools, Syrian schools, NGOs, municipalities, and others. According to the AFAD report, of those Syrian children ages 6 to 11 who are attending school outside of camps, 31 percent are formally attending Turkish schools and 25 percent are attending as guests. An additional 33 percent are attending schools provided by NGOs, municipalities, or Syrian citizens.
Much about the quality of education provided for Syrians remains unknown, and anecdotally, several concerns have been raised. At the Turkish schools, language barriers are creating problems for learning achievement. The psychologist at an organization providing services for Syrians in Istanbul said that while many of the children they work with are attending Turkish schools, they are not learning much. The lessons are conducted in Turkish and they cannot understand. Further, not much is known about what is being taught in Syrian community schools, the quality of what is being taught, and the ethics of the education provided. The Ministry of Education is supposed to be coordinating and monitoring these community schools, but their capacity is limited and resources are constrained. More effort is needed to understand what is happening in these schools, what is being provided, and what needs to be done to provide the educational services demanded.