Reasons Education Centers for Refugees in Syria Must be Built Soon

Since 2011 when the Syria civil war started, at least 3 million Syrian children lack the opportunity to go to school. Building education centers for refugees in the affected areas will go a long way in educating Syrian children that will later help rebuild Syria.The 5 Year Syrian DroughtThe worst drought to hit Syria in 50 years started in 2006 all through to 2011. In these 5 years, about 2 million people living in Syria were forced into extreme poverty. Most of these were rural Syrians who were thus forced to move to nearby cities to feed themselves.  Among them, were children of school going age that enrolled in urban schools thus hard-pressing them accommodate the growing numbers. Challenges of a School Age Child Refugee“Education ensures self sufficiency, without it no engineers, teachers or doctors would exist to help secure a bright future for the country,” Alaa, a student from war torn Syria in Jordan points out.One in five Syrian schools no longer function, most of the schools were destroyed or damaged and others act as shelters to millions of internally displaced people. Schools lack reading materials, desks, chairs and sanitation facilities; in some areas, teachers have also fled. This has reduced the number of children of school age attending schools to less than 50%. Reports show those children not in school are more likely to encounter such issues as early marriages, child labor, exploration and extremism practiced by militia leading the war in Syria. This is among the main reasons for establishment of education centers for refugees in Syria. Most refugees exhaust the savings they had brought with them within the first year, if they had any and so the child maybe the only breadwinner in the family. This should clearly not be the case. It is thus crucial for every Syrian refugee child to get an education to prevent detrimental long-term effects in their home country if they are to return to Syria.Impact education centers have on refugees and the societyRefugees are entitled to basic education as stated in the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. To effect quality education to these refugees there needs to be enough funds and cooperation thus ensuring all refugee children can access educational opportunities. Establishing localized learning programs in locations where Syrians have settled so children can learn or retain reading, writing skills and math is necessary. In these emergency situations, among the reasons why it is vital for these refugees to be provided with education centers for refugees mainly include humanitarian, economic and social reasons. Schools can serve as safe and protective environments that provide them with hope and aspiration for a better Syria when the war comes to an end. With emotional support, these children can embark on learning crucial skills faster thus acquiring literacy and numeracy that they can be apply to better their country, Syria and their lives in future.