Article
Are children learning? Understand teaching and learning practices to improve educational quality in times of crisis in Syria
Available evidence shows that the more than 8 years of protracted conflict in Syria has negatively affected education system as a whole. While much effort is being made to ensure access to safe and conducive learning environments, there is very little information available about what is actually taking place inside the classroom to know about three critical issues: children’s learning, teachers and school management’s competences, and school communities’ support.
In order to inform elaboration of Transitional Education Plan for 2020-2022 and subsequent policies and programmatic orientations, UNESCO and Syrian Ministry of Education have launched a qualitative research study titled ‘Are Syrian Children Learning?’ As such, a first technical workshop was held in Beirut on 26-28 August 2019 involving the National Center for the Evaluation in Education and six Governorates: Rural Damascus, Hama, Deir El Zor, Hassakeh, Aleppo and Tartous.
The three-day workshop allowed participants to understand a diverse range of issues and challenges specific to the governorates as a result of ongoing conflict. They concerned socio-economic and educational issues. Above all, the most detrimental across all the governorates is the impact of the protracted war on the socio-emotional well-being of children, teachers and school communities at large.
Using three simple tools of Focus Group Discussion, Key Informant Interviews and Observation, a two-month long research study will commence as Syrian schools start new academic year in early September and will inform ongoing process of defining priority programmes in Transitional Education Plan.
A national seminar to disseminate preliminary findings and recommendations will take place at the end of October 2019.
