Now What? A multi-dimensional analysis of the post primary educational prospects for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon

Abstract

The Syrian civil war is undeniably one of the largest humanitarian crises of modern time. With host countries, such as Lebanon, taking in a disproportionately large influx of refugees in their already fragile national structure, there erupts a complex situation of meeting the needs of the refugee population without compromising the local population. Thus, while education up to the end of secondary school is provided free for refugee children through international and national funding, there are many challenges with regards to not only the access to secondary and higher education, but the role of post grade nine (or post primary school) education for refugee children.
This dissertation outlines the post primary school options for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon while at the same time analyzing the perceived options and reasoning behind the choices taken by the refugees themselves. The research will be conducted using an adapted form of grounded theory which does not assume a certain approach to education is ideal and takes on the viewpoints of multiple stakeholders. This two-part analysis includes an open-ended questionnaire sent to policy makers at various governmental and NGO levels in Lebanon as well as a systematic internet search to unveil all post primary school options for Syrian refugees. The second part of the dissertation consists of interviews with refugee children about to finish their primary school years, and refugee teenagers who have made their post primary school choices in Lebanon in an attempt to reveal how refugees view secondary and higher education; what choices they make after primary school and the obstacles they may face in order to meet their educational goals. These are contrasted with interviews of Lebanese students who attend schools in the same areas. The dissertation ends with insights regarding the theoretical implications of education for refugees as well as policy level recommendations.

Date of Award	17 Feb 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Andrea Abbas (Supervisor) & Hugh Lauder (Supervisor)