Publication

This paper finds that despite the efforts of the Jordanian government, the UN and NGOs to provide quality education to Syrian refugees in Jordan, approximately forty percent of school-age refugees remain out of school. The author first looks at the state of the education systems in Syria and Jordon and the importance of education in conflict settings. She then looks at the obstacles keeping the child refugees out of school. They include: 1) economic barriers in the education system and in Syrian refugee households; 2) legal and regulatory obstacles to school enrollment; 3) education divides between Syrian and Jordanian students; 4) social tensions in schools; and 5) competing priorities in refugee households. Finally, the author provides recommendations on how to overcome these obstacles.