The latest back-to-school campaign aims at sending 300.000 Syrian refugee children into the classroom this autumn, helping them work toward a positive future.
Jordan's Ministry of Education, with support from UNICEF, has launched the second annual end-of-summer campaign to get displaced children back into school. It is being implemented by Save the Children Jordan and will provide learning support with the supply of more than 150,000 school bags and stationary. The campaign also promotes the importance of education across the country, including in Syrian refugee camps.
Advice and support
More than 30,000 Syrian refugee children work in Jordan, most of them taking jobs on farms, but also in auto-repair shops and more hazardous labour, according to recent UNICEF estimates.
"Schools provide a safe haven for children, offer them a sense of normalcy and help give them hope for the future,” said Robert Jenkins, UNICEF’s representative in the country, stressing the importance of providing all Syrian refugees under 18 with education opportunities. “It is crucial to ensure that Syrian girls and boys who have left their home country do not lose out on their education so that they can continue to play an active role in society in the future."
Avoiding drop-out
To ensure that the children enrolled in school do not drop out, UNICEF and Save the Children Jordan have implemented monitoring mechanisms in coordination with the Education Ministry to follow up on their attendance. They involve sending peer educators and volunteers door-to-door in various locations to engage directly with parents and children.
“With this door-to-door campaign we can reach out to the children, follow up and pick them up if they fall out. We cannot of course reach out to 100 per cent of the children but we can identify the issues and support as many as possible,” Jenkins said.
Communicating through flyers, posters and a variety of other channels, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of education and the relevant school registration procedures.