Syria offers schooling solutions for displaced students amid return of refugees

Shafaq News/ Syria’s Ministry of Education announced on Thursday new measures to help students who were forced to drop out of school due to displacement or migration during the al-Assad era.

"Students with official academic documents will be able to re-enroll easily," Mohammad Saed Qaddour, the Director of Education at the Syrian Ministry of Education, told Shafaq News. "However, those without records showing their previous grade level will be placed in the appropriate class based on assessment."

He added, "Many of these students are older than their peers, which creates challenges in placing them in the same classrooms due to age differences."

Returning Syrian refugees, particularly from Turkiye, face a major challenge as many children have lost proficiency in their native Arabic after years of studying in Turkish public schools.

According to official statistics from Turkiye’s Ministry of Education, approximately 1.03 million Syrian students are currently enrolled in Turkish schools. With the academic year nearing its end and summer approaching, many Syrian families are expected to return home.

Meanwhile, a report by Lebanon’s Center for Educational Research and Development (CRDP) stated that 117,300 Syrian students were enrolled in Lebanese schools during the 2022-2023 academic year.