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The UNESCO informal education project, funded by the European Union and implemented in partnership with MECI, celebrates project completion with graduation ceremonies for over 380 participating students.

Irbid, 29 November 2015- “Today we harvest together six months of collaborative efforts…with the goal of providing quality educational services to Syrian students whom the war has deprived of access to educational opportunities,” said MECI’s Regional Director, Dr. Lina Farouqi.

On November 29^th, MECI, UNESCO’s implementing partner hosted graduation ceremonies for 380 participating students who completed the program. The program is part of the larger EU funded project, “Sustaining Quality Education & Promoting Skills Development for Young Syrian Refugees in Jordan,” The project aims to address the challenges posed by the continuing influx of Syrian refugees on the quality of education in Jordan.

The ceremonies featured speeches from Eddie Dutton, Education in Emergencies Project Officer at UNESCO, and Dr. Lina Farouqi, in addition to speeches from the hosting school principals of each center. During the celebrations at each location, student performances included poetry and educational chants, as well as theatrical performances that expressed awareness of the importance of education as opposed to child labor and early marriage. At one particular celebration a student demonstrated his singing talent with three songs, and an IFE facilitator performed a poem. The ceremonies concluded with the distribution of certificates of participation to eagerly waiting students.

The informal education project was designed to give refugee children a pathway back into the formal school system. Students who had been out of school for months, or even years, received daily lessons in Math, Arabic, English, and Life Skills. In his remarks, Eddie Dutton emphasized the importance of education for Syrian refugees expressing, “We cannot underestimate the value and importance of having dedicated professionals working every day to ensure that all children can realize their right to a good quality education.”