A group of 17 boys—the youngest 10, and the oldest 14—gather their chairs around three tables. They sit in a classroom and although they are not in school, most of them did attend school when they were home in Syria.
Now in Jordan, education seems like a fleeting dream. One by one, each boy stands up and shares why he is not attending school.
“I don’t have my papers from Syria,” says Khaled. Without validation that he completed third grade in Syria, it is almost impossible for him to enroll in fourth grade in Jordan.
“I dropped out of school to work,” says Mohammed. Many young refugees are the source of income for their family, even if they are only ten years old.
“I tried attending school, but was abused there,” says Ali. A hostile environment can make it impossible to learn.
By the end of 2014, it is projected that there will be over 270,000 school-aged Syrian children living in Jordan, all with similar stories. It’s an educational crisis, but there are solutions.
These 17 young refugees attend Questscope’s Informal Education (IFE) center in Mafraq on the northern border of Jordan, and they are part of that solution. IFE bridges the gap for young refugees who are left without access to education, and whose experiences have left them with little motivation to pursue it.
During IFE courses, each child is encouraged to actively participate in decision-making in order to learn that mistakes are okay and that each child’s voice will be heard. And while they learn to read and write, they also build a positive social network they can trust.
“It doesn’t feel like school here,” says 12-year-old Bassam. “I am here with my friends, and I enjoy learning here.”
The key to IFE is the creation of an environment that is different from what the child has experienced. In place of an environment that pushes marginalized children away, IFE builds a safe space that pulls them toward a community of respect and new hope.
Each in their own way, the boys articulate their eagerness to get to this classroom three days a week. Here, they find respect and trust. Here, they can learn.
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All names have been changed for confidentiality and protection.
Questscope IFE programs are funded by the EU, and coordinated by UNESCO.
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