ISSUES IN EDUCATION FOR LEARNERS IN CONFLICT ZONES: A CASE STUDY OF

SYRIAN REFUGEES IN TURKEY

Dr. Merah Souad & Dr. Tahraoui Ramdane

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the appropriateness of the current domestic and international
educational practices seeking to cater for the educational needs of Syrian Refugees children in
Turkey. Highlighting some of the multi-faceted challenges facing those efforts is another aim which
could help drawing a relevant framework to tackle those challenges in the form of a special
educational program which may provide a more reliable and comprehensive education for
emergencies.

Methodology: An analytical account of the actual educational practices and challenges is presented.
A reflective analysis of the literature was utilized. The political, social & cultural aspects are as well
highlighted.

Findings: Results of the study showed that most of the educational practices dedicated to Syrian
refugee children in Turkey are far from being well constructed. The pattern of existing practices
points to the dominance of remedial education for refugees aiming at keeping children busy without
having a clear vision about the outcomes in the long term.

Significance: It is a high time for local and international agencies involved in the field of education
for Syrian refugees in Turkey to draw a framework for a robust, comprehensive and well-tailored
education for refugees. It is no longer acceptable to confine educational practices for Syrian children
refugees in the efforts of illiteracy eradication only. In contrast, providing real opportunities for them
to learn like their counterpart children around the world. The proposed framework sheds light on what
is to be done in order to facilitate Syrian refugee children process of integration in host communities,
and also gain much required skills to enter job markets and earn a decent living.

Key Words: Refugees, Conflict Zones, Turkey, Education, Issues, Integration, Repatriation

INTRODUCTION

In his article titled “The End of History” Francis Fukuyama (1989) predicted that a drastic change has
to happen in the world shifting the direction of the contemporary human history. He was referring to
the end of Ideology oriented history and the beginning of a new and final phase of humanity’s history.

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He explained that: What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a
particular period of postwar history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's
ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of
human government (Fukuyama, 1989). However, his prophecy did not materialize in many parts of
the world, where ideology dominance is still rampant, and both religious extremism and racial
fanaticism have had a strong come-backs.

Although violent conflicts in the globe subsided after the 2nd World War, the pattern of violence
within states is on the increase. Civil, ethnic and conflicts waged in the name of God are on the rise,
and they are affecting lives of millions of people. Civil conflicts include government of the state
against a non-state entity, regional internal wars involving the government of a regional subunit
against a non-state entity, and intercommunal wars involving a combat between/among two or more
non-state entities within the state. According to ReliefWeb, civil conflicts have more than doubled,
jumping from 30 in 2001 to 70 in 2016. These conflicts concentrated mainly in poor countries with a
toxic combination of different intertwining problems such as stumbling economies, fragile
administrative and judicial institutions, inequality, religious schism, terrorism, cultural discrimination
and gender inequality in addition to natural calamities. All these factors combined have led to an
unprecedented increase in the number of displaced people especially women and children who
actually form the most vulnerable social category prone to be victimized in such conflicts. In a Report
titled, Conflict and Violence in the 21st Century Alexandre Marc, Chief Specialist, Fragility, Conflict
and Violence World Bank stated that by the end of 2014, it was estimated that 59.5 million people
were forcibly displaced, 19.5 were refugees. In a book titled Militarization and Violence against
Women in Conflict Zones in the Middle East (2009) Professor Nadera Shalhoub Kevorkian stated that
Women and children form society’s most vulnerable category in conflict zones. Women and children
in countries devastated by civil wars such as Syria, Yemen Afghanistan and Nigeria, are usually
looked upon as those “who have no right to right”. This is because rights in such war zones are
usually designed by those in power, familial, cultural (religious) and political elites.

The fact that modern warfare concentrates on cities and other agglomerations rather than open space
as it used to be the practiced in conventional wars. This new warfare spatial concentration has a
devastating impact on civilians in general and women, children and the elderly in particular.
According to the UN statistics, it is estimated that close to 90 per cent of current war casualties are
civilians, the majority of whom are women and children, compared to a century ago when 90 per cent
of those who lost their lives were military personnel. Besides the loss of lives, political instability,
infrastructure’s destruction and economies’ devastation, modern warfare has created severe
humanitarian crisis especially the unprecedented huge number of displaced people internally and
internationally. These refugees are in a desperate need for all humanitarian aids such as safety, food,
shelter, medical care and education.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Education for refugees

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The rights of refugee children to education are clearly framed in major international conventions…the
Revised Guidelines for Education Assistance to Refugees (1995), and Action to be Taken in an
Emergency stress the importance of education for children as a priority, and stipulate that schooling
be provided for children of refugees, asylum seekers and those in camps (Christie & Sidhu, 2002).
Education for refugees also termed as ‘education in emergencies’ refers to education for populations
affected by unforeseen situations such as armed conflicts or natural calamities. There have been over
50 significant armed conflicts since the end of the Cold War – mostly taking place within rather than
between countries – and they have had a devastating effect on the lives of those in affected areas
(Sinclair, 2007). There is no doubt that emergencies in general and armed conflicts in particular can
cause major disruption for educational systems. That is due to the fact that educational institutions are
often damaged during armed conflict, or used for temporary accommodation of people who flee
conflicts and look for a ‘supervised safety’. Furthermore, families (including students and teachers)
usually flee conflict zones to search for safety in other countries as refugees. Besides, in situations of
(long or) chronic conflict, the quality of schooling may deteriorate if governments are unable to
distribute teacher salaries due to security problems and/or lack of funds. (Sinclair, 2007)

In normal circumstances, education is taken by people as a fundamental human right, but priority for
them during the times of conflicts is for safety and survival, therefore, education loses its stature and
becomes a luxury privilege for the fortunate. From a principled and a realistic point of view this
perception is inadmissible, because education can be very effective in the healing process of refugee
children lives. Accessing education is crucial for displaced or refugees in order to regain a sense of
normalcy. In fact, education can be essential in helping children healing from traumatic experiences
of conflicts, enlighten them about their rights, and fight back against all forms of potential
exploitation they may be exposed to.

Education and schooling are stabilizing factors in the unsettled lives of refugees. They provide safe
spaces for new encounters, interactions and learning opportunities. They also deliver literacy, a key to
educational success, post‐school options, life choices, social participation and settlement (Matthews,
2008). In addition, schools are vital for refugee youth because they offer them an important means of
integration into their new communities (Bartlett et al.2017; Kao & Tienda 1995; Rolfsnes & Idsoe,
2011). As schools in host countries facilitate contact with members of local communities; reintroduce
a sense of normality and routine; provide a safe environment; increase self-reliance and
empowerment; and foster social, psychological and intellectual development (Bačáková, 2011 as cited
in Halis Gözpınar,2019). Besides helping them to adjust or integrate in the host communities by
conveying life skills, languages and values schools are a unique component of building a long-term
future (Harvey M. Weinstein, Sarah Warshauer Freedman & Holly Hughson, 2007). Though, the right
to education should be preserved for all by de jure, many refugees are deprived of education by de
facto. Political, economic, cultural, religious or even logistical reasons depending on the living
conditions and the laws of the host countries or regions affect refugees’ educational attainment. It is
known that “everywhere, students with what are described as disadvantaged home background find
that the quality available to them is inferior to that available to the more advantaged.” (Rosemary
Preston, 1991)

Refugee Education in Turkey: Policies, Practices and Challenges

In some host countries, refugee children (frequently called migrants) are usually absorbed in the local
public educational system such as in some European Union (EU) countries. However, in some other

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countries refugees are banned from enrolling in the public educational system such as in Malaysia,
where “refugee children … are denied access to the formal education system and thus obtain
education via an informal parallel system of 128 community-based learning centers.” (UNHCR,
Malaysia) In the Middle East -another region ravaged by conflicts- refugees’ access to education
depends on the political and economic state of every host country. It is estimated that two-fifths of
school-aged Syrian refugee children are out of school (Omer Karasapan & Sajjad Shah, 2018) For
instance, the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is very dire because of the historical enmity
caused by the so called Syrian occupation of Lebanon between 1976 -2005. According to Human
Rights Watch Report 2019 there is “more than 1 million Syrian refugees… registered with the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon. The government estimates the true
number of Syrians in the country to be 1.5 million. Lebanon’s residency policy makes it difficult for
Syrians to maintain legal status, heightening risks of exploitation and abuse and restricting refugees’
access to work, education, and healthcare.” (Human Rights Watch Report, 2019). In Jordan, another
host country for Syrian refugees and the home place to one of the biggest refugee camp in the world
al zaatari camp which is home “to 78,597 refugees, nearly 20% are under five years old”
(ReliefWeb) and placed at the 7th place among World's Largest Refugee Camps in 2018, the situation
of Syrian refugees is much better than it is in Lebanon in regard to work policies and educational
attainment. Syrian refugees are allowed to apply for certain jobs such as, construction, textiles and
food. As for education, it was estimated that “In Jordan, some 131,000 refugee children aged 5
through 18 were in formal education at the end of 2017, the majority in double-shift schools.”(Omer
Karasapan & Sajjad Shah, 2018) However, in Turkey a quite different situation seems to be prevailing
and the living conditions of refugees and the laws pertaining to them seem to be evolving following
the development of the war back home in Syria on one side and the Turkish internal political agenda
on the other side. But the general trend is that the Turkish government is more welcoming and helpful
to Syrian refugees. “The first period began with the first flow of Syrians into Turkey in 2011 and the
period up until the summer of 2015. Turkish authorities followed an “open door” policy and began
constructing tents in the southern provinces of Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep, and Şanlıurfa, and called
Syrian refugees “guests,” which granted them no legal rights and assumed a temporary and short
stay.” (Turkish Policy Quarterly). The second stage started during the summer of 2015 and also called
Refugee Crisis, it was highly covered in the media. In this stage, the movement of refugees from
Turkey to Europe reached the highest level. It was a period when thousands of refugees suffered
seriously at European borders. Some tragically lost their lives at sea. (Ahmet İçduygu & Doğuş
Şimşek, 2016) This crisis was alarming to European countries who started to feel the pressure of
Refugees influx. An issue exploited by the Turkish government to push EU countries to realise that
Refugee crisis is not a Turkish internal problem but it is in fact a global problem and therefore all
sorts of support must be provided. The third period of Syrian migration to Turkey refers to a process
in which policies and practices are moving in the direction of integration. For instance, the Turkish
government started to issue work permits for Syrian refugees who have been in Turkey for more than
six months in January 2016. According to the World Bank publication about Turkey’s Response to
the Syrian Refugee Crisis and the Road Ahead “Turkey now hosts the largest refugee population in
the world. The Government of Turkey (GoT) estimates the total number of registered Syrians under
Temporary Protection (SuTPs) at 2,225,147” mainly women and children. In fact, in a televised
speech on October 2019 the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced that Turkey is
hosting more than four million Syrian refugees or brothers as he called them, he also expressed the
will of the Turkish government to extend a helping hand to Turkey’s guests. As far as education is
concerned, the situation of Education for refugees seems to be multiplex due to the Turkish internal
policies, the overwhelming number of refugees, different agencies which are trying to help and most
importantly refugees’ diaspora. UNICEF estimates that 74 percent of children outside of camps in

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Turkey had no access to schooling. (UNICEF (2014) Syria Crisis Monthly humanitarian situation p.
19. However according to UNHCR 60 percent attendance rates is reported in camps. (UNHCR, 2014.
Syria Regional Response Plan. Turkey)

Logistical Challenges

For this category of challenges, financial support comes at the top of the list. Many host countries
suffer from lack of resources to support refugees in general and education in particular. For instance,
the main issue facing Syrian refugees in Turkey is the financial support not governmental policies.
Some studies have confirmed that the “scarce of education program development (is) mainly due to
lack of financial matters” (Tuba Bircan & Ulas Sunata, 2015). No doubt that the Turkish Government
was relatively successful in providing humanly acceptable living conditions for Syrian refugees
especially those in camps. “All the camps are equipped with medical centers, schools, recreational
facilities and vocational training programs.” (Kemal Kirişci, 2014). However, all these efforts were
not enough due to a complex array of issues especially the huge influx of refugees and the
Governance system. Besides the financial support. There is also the problem of infrastructure. Finding
buildings and premises suitable for housing schools is a major handicap as well. (Kemal Kirişci,
2014). Another problem that can limit resources for education is the general trend among those
working in the humanitarian aid agencies which is their preoccupations with therapeutic interventions
and the provision of immediate programs to help children with post-traumatic stress disorder besides
they locate issues at an individual level and overlook broader dimensions of inequality and
disadvantage. No doubt that “terror and violence cause psychological damage, the extent of which
varies from child to child, with potentially serious effects on social and emotional development. The
cognitive development of children is also harmed during war, as skills such as literacy, numeracy and
critical thinking are delayed.” (Suzan Nicolai & Carl Tripledon, March 2003)

Another issue is the dilemma of the vision of the educational process itself is it for acculturation and
integration? or for repatriation? All-inclusive, education for refugees is known to be the “education
that protects the well-being, fosters learning opportunities and nurtures the overall development
(social, emotional, cognitive, physical) of children affected by conflicts and disasters.” (Save the
Children Alliance Education Group, 2001). However, the debate in this regard is about readiness of
Turkey to educate and prepare refugees to go back to their countries of origin? or to prepare them for
the integration in the Turkish society? Many think that the aim of refugee education curriculum
should continue to be relevant to the national curriculum of the country of origin in order to facilitate
reintegration after repatriation especially in countries where refugees’ influx is immense such as the
case of refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Others believe that the immediate task of educating
refugees should be to save them from becoming a “lost generation” (UNICEF, 2014) and to equip
them with the necessary knowledge to understand the culture of the host country and also to acquire
certain skills vital to their survival while being away from their countries and in some cases to
integrate refugees completely in the host country such as the case in most European countries, Canada
and the USA. In fact, both views are constrained with internal policies of the host countries. For
instance, in the case of the Syrian refugees, there is a big difference in how Britain and Germany
perceive them and how other countries do. In some developed countries it is believed that more
educated immigrants/refugees may be more effective in the transition to a new society and thus may
benefit relatively more from the education they bring from their homeland and from any additional
education they may acquire in their destination country (Chiswick and Miller 1994, 2003; Chiswick
et al. , 2005; Bratsberg and Ragan,2002 as cited in Joop Hartog & Aslan Zorlu.2009). However in
developing and under developed countries especially those located at the fringes of conflict zones
such as Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, refugees are looked upon as a heavy economic

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burden and a hurdle to their internal development. Therefore, the means to provide education for them
are very limited even if the political will is there to help. It is fundamental here to differentiate
between education for children refugee and education for adults. Usually education for children
refugees is given priority compared to education for adults. According to Turkish national laws, all
children have the right to education regardless of their background. Non-citizen children have the
right to enroll in Turkish schools up to the Secondary level. “Syrian refugee children and youth living
in camps have access to preschool, elementary and high school education. The current refugees in the
school ages living in the camps in Turkey have access to camp schools carrying out Syrian curriculum
in Arabic. Meanwhile, refugee students out of camps, having residence permit can enroll in public
schools. The refugee students living in the city without residence permit can attend to the schools as
guest status and go without official registration.” (Tuba Bircan & Ulas Sunata, 2015). Besides
enrolling in the formal sector of education, Syrian refugee children can get access to informal
education in refugee camps and other schools run by NGO’s and volunteers. In total, Syrian refugee
children have three different educational alternatives in Turkey. First, Camp education centers these
are educational facilities provided in camps operated by the Turkish Ministry of Education and the
Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD); second option is Syrians living outside of
camps with residence permits are able to enroll in Turkish public schools. (Tuba Bircan & Ulas
Sunata, 2015). The last alternative are temporary education centers (TECs) which consists of
educational opportunities initiated by Syrian, Turkish or International charitable organizations and
good Samaritans. Each of these educational sector faces many challenges. For instance, the first issue
faced by camp schools is the dilemma of accreditation. The Turkish government does not recognize
Syrian curriculum, certificates on one side and students can’t go to Syria to take governmental major
examinations for formal certification. (Kemal Kirişci, 2014) For students who are enrolled in Turkish
public schools they face another set of challenges such as acceptance and integration. Besides another
major challenge which is the lack of good quality education. The provinces where most of the urban
refugees are living are also provinces where schools’ academic performance is below the national
average. (Kemal Kirişci, 2014). Besides, the loss of direction pertaining to their educational
outcomes; Where to go later to Syria or stay in Turkey?

Practical Challenges

For education to be efficient and to reach its objectives in equipping individuals with the necessary
knowledge, skills and values, “it would require a range of intervention points: national and state
policies; funding; school curricula; teacher professional development; targeted expenditure; special
provision for disadvantaged groups; and so on.” (Pam Christie & Ravinder Sidhu, 2002) However, for
refugees’ education all these elements are usually missing due to the state of emergency that taints
their lives as well as the economic status and the political will of the host countries. For instance,
education for Syrian refugee children in Turkey face many challenges. In fact, accessibility to
education itself is an issue. According to Culberston & Constant More than half a million
Syrian refugee students are not enrolled in school in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon (Culbertson &
Constant, 2015 as cited in Ayik Bilgehan, 2019). About Poor enrollment it was reported that “only
60% of Syrian children in Turkey are currently enrolled in school – a significant improvement
on previous years but dismal compared to the near-universal schooling rates of this generation
in pre-war Syria and the rate among native-born Turkish children.” (UN Women, 2018). This
issue is caused by many factors, some parents are skeptic about the efficacy of education to
their children in their actual circumstances due to some religious and cultural convictions. For
instance, “girls are more likely to be kept at home due to protection concerns and household
responsibilities such as caring for younger siblings or ailing parents. Girls are also far more likely to

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be married at an early age.” (UNICEF Jordan). Besides, poverty is another fundamental cause. It is
reported that “despite the efforts of the governments and international community, the costs
associated with going to school prevent some families from enrolling their children” (UNHCR The
Future of Syria Refugee Children in Crisis)

For those who were privileged enough to have access to education, be it formal or informal they
usually face many problems. Besides being culturally and social uprooted, social stigma, prejudices,
subjugation marginalization and the feeling of alienation. It has been observed that when refugee
children are enrolled in the Turkish public schools (formal education outsides refugee camps), the first
educational hurdle they face is “Sink or Swim” approach. This process does not emphasize on the
identification of students’ specific needs and does not provide a special preparation program prior to
them plunging in ordinary classes. “Some people believe that this approach accelerates the mastery of
(the instruction language and in this case the Turkish language) but critics warn that ill-prepared
students can become frustrated easily and fall behind, increasing their risk of dropping out” (Henry L.
Tischler, 1999). Students’ frustration is usually caused by the fact students will find themselves
studying a completely new curriculum filled with alien cultural components, via a foreign language
they do not master. There is also a consensus among researchers that the problem of the language is a
major obstacle for social adaptation and academic achievement, besides new School culture,
classroom ambiance and different ways of thinking and acting for both teachers and other local
classmates. Studies have shown that most Syrian refugee children are unable to communicate or
study in Turkish. According to the findings of a study conducted by Pelin Taskin & Ozge Erdemli
about the problems faced by teachers teaching Syrian refugees in Turkey, the Problem of the language
comes on the top of the problems list. The respondents (teachers) in this study shared some of their
thoughts vis-a-vis the obstacles they face while teaching. One respondent asserted that students “have
learned how to read and write but have not been able to learn the language. That’s why, they cannot
understand what they read (3F). Which means that they can recognize the words but not being able to
comprehend them. Meanwhile another respondent has highlighted that “Two or three students (in
reference to his classroom) speak Turkish well. We use those speaking Turkish as translators (6F).
Another respondent has explained that students “mostly communicate through body language (9F).
Another respondent has summarized the issue by dividing the students into three categories: “There
are those who do not want to learn Turkish, those who use full efforts to learn Turkish, and also those
who are not allowed by their families to learn Turkish (F7). (Pelin Taskin & Ozge Erdemli, 2018). In
fact, the language barrier is a serious problem in Refugees’ education due to the fact that trainee
teachers receive very limited instruction in second language pedagogy. Those Syrian students
who do attend Turkish public schools receive very little support in acquiring Turkish, in
catching up on missed material, and in coping with psychosocial challenges associated with
conflict, displacement and cultural adjustment. (Aydin H. and Kaya Y., 2017). Researchers have
different views on the solutions pertaining to the problem of the language. Some have proposed, the
provision of Turkish language as a second language which they regard as a fundamental pre requisite
for at least the first transitory stages after the child is enrolled into public, private and other learning
centers with the condition that teachers themselves are trained to teach Turkish as a second language
to specific groups. Meanwhile others have proposed a more culturally neutral solution, which is the
introduction of English as a Foreign language (EFL), this is to foster a sense of fairness and equality
among the learners and also because “EFL classrooms are a neutral space for refugees, local students
and refugees thus come together and reconstruct/redefine their identities and from life-long
friendships.” (Gözpinar Halis, 2019)

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The lack of expertise in teaching refugees is another challenge faced by Syrian refugees in in the three
types of schooling in Turkey; public schools, Camp schools & other temporary educational facilities.
It is a known fact that “not all teachers have been trained to work with refugee children suffering from
psychological distress” (UNHCR.The Future of Syria Refugee Children in Crisis). Research has
highlighted many issues pertaining to teachers themselves such as the lack of understanding of what is
education for refugees is all about and how to handle refugee students especially those enrolled in
general public schools. There have been reports of abusive teachers especially in public schools where
teachers express their frustration and anger from the presence of refugee students in their classes and
think that having refugees is in fact affecting the academic performance of the local students.
(UNHCR.The Future of Syria Refugee Children in Crisis). Usually in cases of emergencies “teachers’
use of physical punishment, ridicule and humiliation to control and discipline children appears to be
connected to the stresses they themselves experience (Van der Wijk, personal communication, as cited
in Suzan Nicolai & Carl Tripledon, 2003). According to some reports, “many public school teachers
openly express frustration at the challenges of teaching Syrian students. For example, large
Facebook groups – designed for sharing pedagogical tools and job vacancies and to foster
social interaction – are rife with complaints about refugee students’ abilities and behavior.
Although many group members do defend Syrian students, there is clearly a concerning lack of
understanding among teachers about the challenges faced by the students, indicating
insufficient administrative support and knowledge about working with refugee children” (UN
Women, 2018). Besides the language barrier, it is also important to mention here that Syrian refugees
in Turkey do not form a homogenous social group as some of them are Arabs and some are Kurdish
which might create an issue of multilingualism (Arabic & Kurdish) within these two ethnic groups
tribal sentiments are prevailing and strongly influential. In addition, Syrian refugees suffer from
sectarian division between Sunni, Shii, Azidi, Christians and others. This has a great impact on how
children perceive and present themselves in the classroom. Despite the fact that research has
explained that diversity among students in education directly impacts their performance and students
work better in a diverse environment. (Kickboard Blog) multiculturalism/ multi-religions in classroom
can be a hurdle to learning especially in places where people are still divided and identified by their
race and religion or sect. This division has a great impact on how children learners perceive and
present themselves in the classroom. According to (Ipgrave, 2001, 2003, & 2009 as cited by Julian
Stern, 2018), in her work on conditions for dialogue and acknowledging plurality within the school
and being positive about plurality, children learners present themselves and learning in three different
ways each of which corresponds to the dialogue they were out into. They presented themselves “as
friend or a ‘pal ’related to the dialogue of life; as a member of a faith of cultural community and
tradition related to the dialogue of experience… and as thinker related to the dialogue of action.”
(Julian Stern, 2018). Besides young learners share parental cultural and religious beliefs which in
many cases lead them to adopt closed intolerant views and convictions which prevents them from
integrating in their learning groups. In the case of Syrian refugee children, sectarian and racial
division is a lived reality in their camp tents, streets, playground and schools. Let alone the fact that
this division is in fact the root cause of their displacement in the first place.

Another major problem hinders Syrian refugee children’s learning consists of multiage classroom.
“Since 1949, several research studies have investigated the relationship between multiage grouping
and academic achievement. Reviews of research (Anderson & Pavan, 1993; Pratt, 1986; Gutierrez &
Slavin, 1992; Veenman, 1995) reveal inconsistent results. Based primarily on standardized
achievement tests, some studies report higher scores for students in multiage classrooms. Other
studies favor academic achievement for students in single-age classrooms” (Kinsey, Susan J., 2001).
In fact, the biggest challenge to multiage implementation is the misunderstanding about its application

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and the academic resources allocated for it be it the curriculum design or the human resources because
not all teachers and administrators have had been trained on how to manage and efficiently deliver in
a multiage education. In the case of teaching refugees in most occurrences teaching in multiage
classroom is a bitter reality. Because many refugee children suffer from “interrupted schooling”
whereby they do not attend schools regularly and they end up to be placed with classmates of different
age groups and different educational experiences. A fact that hinders their academic achievement and
also reinforce the feeling of frustration, low self-esteem and the learned self-helplessness especially
among the low performing students. Besides the fact that their teachers are mostly unexperienced
volunteers or social workers and unable to use efficient teaching and learning strategies in multi-level
classes. In summary all these challenges together make learning almost an impossible task and
students’ academic achievements far behind those learning in normal stable circumstances. This will
result in school drop-out rate to be very high.

METHODOLOGY

Though a lot has been said or written about refugees’ living conditions all around the world, their
hardship, host countries’ policies, humanitarian aids and personal stories of suffering, agony and
displacement, the knowledge contributing to the field of a special education for refugees is still in the
making. We may hear about initiatives by NGOs and some governmental agencies in host countries in
providing educational alternatives for refugees but unfortunately in many cases these efforts are of
tinkering nature or random, spontaneous, remedial programs depending on the availability of
resources and aids. Hence more knowledge pertaining to education in emergencies is needed to
establish the theory which is crucial in defining and guiding the practical practices on the ground. One
particular concern is how this field of knowledge establishes a connecting bridge with the main stream
educational field and benefit from the advancement of the educational theories and not be limited to
being temporary and remedial. This study presents an analytical account of the actual educational
practices and challenges pertaining to education in emergencies. A reflective review of the literature
was utilized. As highlighted by Creswell, J.W. (2014) ‘A literature review means locating and
summarizing the studies about a topic. Often these are research studies (since you are conducting a
research study), but they may also include conceptual articles or opinion pieces that provide
frameworks for thinking about topics.’ p.31. It also “shares with the reader the results of other
studies.” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 1990). Besides relating the study in question to the wider ongoing
dialogue and rhetoric vis-a-vis the topic (subject of the study) and also filling the gap(s) in the domain
of research in question. (Marshall & Rossman, 1989). For seeking credibility and authenticity, a wide
range of reports from World’s renowned agencies, published research articles and books were utilized
with an emphasis on recently published works in the field. For better coverage of the related literature,
a meticulous and long process of reading, understanding and analyzing was done by both researchers.
Discussions were held in order to select what is relevant. After that key ideas were highlighted and
descriptors were identified in the primary and secondary sources based on a consensus between both
researchers and also what is more relevant to the study. The ideas were critically evaluated and
selected. After a review was written and the argument was established and reinforced by evidences;
theoretical and statistical, the findings were extracted and finalized and the proposed framework was
designed based on the identified gap in the theory.

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 FINDINGS

This study has shed some light on the humanitarian crisis in general and educational issues Syrian
children refugees in Turkey are facing. It also highlighted the gap in the literature pertaining to a
special education package needed in such circumstances. The findings have shown that:

First: Education for refugees in general is strongly connected with the will and internal policies of
host countries. Hence there is not a single model that would be applied in different places.

Second: Catering for the educational needs of refugees is deemed secondary compared to the basic
survival needs such as shelter, food, medical care and safety.

Third: Although Turkish policies pertaining to education for refugees is more flexible
compared to other host countries, most of the educational practices dedicated to Syrian
Refugees children are far from being well constructed. According to the literature and reports
review the provided education is remedial spontaneous reactional and of a tinkering nature.

Fourth: Although there are many types of schooling the Turkish government is offering for
Syrian refugees children in Turkey, reports indicate that on the ground things do not seem to
be at their best due to many challenges such as the lack of funds, untrained teachers, social
stigma and discrimination.

Fifth: The review also points out that the models designed to meet the needs of Refugees
children are inadequate. Besides the dominance of remedial education for refugees, which
aims at keeping children busy and fights illiteracy without having a clear vision about the
final outcomes whether it is for repatriation or integration. It is not really giving a real chance
to these children to learn for a better future and to be equipped to face the myriad challenges
facing them in the 21st century. Therefore, a helping hand should be extended to children in
conflict zones especially by providing a well conceptualized teaching and learning and to what end
education should be directed to. Thus this study proposes a framework to improve children refugees
education as it follows.

Proposed Framework to Improve Children Refugees’ Education

Addressing the gaps in educational provision for refugees, requires a clear understanding of the
complexities associated with it and the continuous national and international efforts to design and
implement comprehensive policies, including those relating to teachers’ professional
development and to curriculum design. (UN Women, 2018) Besides the genuine political will to
help and the provision of tan adequate financial support.

Current Practice/Issue Proposed Solutions

1. Schools as Formal Learning - To extend the role of the school to be an

Centers INCUBATER where a very delicate care is
provided for all students especially the
provision of a controlled and protective
environment. All activities designed to help
refugees are held at the same place (school).

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 Therapeutic and learning processes are merged.
Teachers should be in charge of teaching,
taking care of students’ other needs such as
social adjustment and counselling services to
reinforce teacher-student bounds and also to
enable students to spend considerable time is
schools and to foster the feeling of belonging,
safety and comfortability maybe not available
on other grounds of the refugee camps or any
other living spaces.
- Schools also play an important role in
identifying refugee children at risk of abuse,
sexual and gender-based violence, and forced
recruitment, and they can help connect them
with appropriate services, (UNHCR) preferably
available within schools’ vicinity.

2. Untrained Teachers To train teachers with the necessary skills to teach

refugees, to help them heal from the trauma they were
exposed to and to enable them to learn efficiently.
Modules of the training should include
- The sociological understanding of education in
emergencies
- Skills of teaching students with post-traumatic
stress disorder
- Integrative and pro-social value based
education in order to distend students from
conflicts.
- Fundamental knowledge (at least
communicative skills) of the student’ mother
tongue.
- Cultural studies of students’ societies of origins
- Understanding and propagation of universal
values
- Skills to teach multi levels classes
- Skills to teach multicultural classes. Via
classroom interventions and strategies to
support the learning according to a culturally
responsive pedagogy
- Teachers’ certification is crucial
- Better payment as an incentive of recognition
and also as a motivation for better performance.

3. Curriculum Design The Curriculum design should include the

following:

- A clear understanding of the PULL and PUSH

factors influencing parental choice for their
children’s education should be taken into

11

4. “Swim or Sink” Policy
5. Teaching in
multi-cultural/religious
classrooms
6. Social Stigma and
Marginalization
consideration while the curriculum is being
designed.
- Cultural, religious and political sensitivities
should be eliminated from the curriculum
content.
- Multicultural Education (Banks & Banks 2001)
should be the trend in the curriculum.
- The provision of three sets of curriculum, ONE
following the national curriculum back home,
SECOND following the host country’s national
curriculum & the THIRD a n international
curriculum. This three types will solve the
problem of education should be for integration
or repatriation.
- The reduction of the curriculum content and to
concentrate on what is deemed essential
especially for those who attend Camps’ schools.
This is to save valuable learning time as the
duration of staying in camps is not determined
and can change at any time.
Language Intensive Remedial or Preparatory Classes
- Stage 1. Language communicative skills
- Stage 2. Technical language (subject oriented
language)
Teachers’ training should prepare teachers for
'culturally responsive teaching’ (Geneva Gay,
2010), this includes;
- A clear understanding of Multicultural
Education (Banks & Banks 2001) to
synchronize it with the special multicultural
curriculum.
- Teachers should be trained to give equal access
to opportunities
- Understand students’ cultural & religious
sensitivities
- Celebrate diversity and encouraging tolerance
and acceptance of the “Other” by encouraging
different perspectives
- Incorporate different teaching styles
- Include diverse learning materials.
Community activities based learning
- Reaching out to the host community and
bringing the host community to refugees sphere
by organizing exchange programs, joint
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 activities, visits…

CONCLUSION

For better educational services for Syrian refugees in Turkey, it is recommended that pre‐ and post‐
displacement factors are well known to all parties involved in designing educational policies,
educational projects and practices for refugees. Refuges’ immediate needs should be taken into
consideration as well. There must be a sincere political will to help refugees because some
governments use this kind of crisis in order to make some political gains. Besides, the absence of any
effort of acculturation due to the skepticism usually the locals have towards any outsider has to be
looked into therefore, more efforts are needed to help refugees assimilate to the Turkish culture.
Lastly, it is quite impossible for Turkey to cater for all refugees’ diverse needs due to the
overwhelmingly huge influx of refugees and the limited resources in this country. Therefore,
International financial support will be of a great help in helping refugees, furthermore addressing the
root cause of displacement and stop the war will be the greatest solution indeed.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research is part of Flagship program registered at the level of the Management Services Division
(MSD) at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

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