Beirut

Access to education is a fundamental human right. It is essential to the acquisition of knowledge and to the full development of the human personality. Yet for millions of refugees, education remains an aspiration, not a reality. In 2017, the number of refugees displaced worldwide reached a staggering 25.4 million, with more than half of that number children under the age of 18, including many unaccompanied or separated from their families. At odds with the fundamental and universal status of the right to education, refugee children remain five times more likely to be out of school compared to their non-refugee peers.

Since the start of the Syria crisis in 2011, millions of Syrian children and young people have sought refuge in neighbouring Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Around 50 per cent do not attend school. Host governments and other stakeholders face a significant challenge in creating systems that recognise both the non-formal learning of Syrian refugees and the learning, qualifications and life experience they acquired in their home country. This joint publication by UNESCO Beirut and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong learning publication stresses the importance of viewing recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) systems for Syrian refugees as part of comprehensive national strategies of host governments rather than as fragmented and ad hoc projects.