“I am mostly concerned about their education”: Syrian refugee families and the right to education in Lebanon

Abstract

Ongoing since 2011, the conflict in Syria is considered to be one of the largest humanitarian crises in modern history. With a large number of Syrian families fleeing the war to resettle in neighboring Lebanon, Lebanon’s education system has become overwhelmed. In this paper, we will describe how Syrian families and community stakeholders experienced education in Lebanon and highlight barriers to education, suggesting potential interventions to ensure that the right to education is upheld. The findings underscore the multiple challenges that Syrian families face in seeking education for their children. At the same time, the findings point to the importance of education in the lives of Syrian families both in Syria before the war, in their current contexts of displacement in Lebanon, and in their future hopes and dreams for their children.