Introduction

WATAN’s Education sector was established in 2012 to meet the urgent need for formal education and psychosocial support among Syrian refugees and IDPs in Turkey and Syria. Initially serving over 800 Syrian children in Syria and 100 Syrian refugee children in Turkey, WATAN later expanded its activities to include Lebanon and Homs, where it provided formal education to 750 Syrian children.

From 2015 to 2022, the education sector expanded horizontally and vertically to meet the needs of Syrian children in various Turkish governorates, Idleb, and Aleppo. WATAN offers various educational services, including formal and informal education, early childhood development programs, summer programs, recreational activities, voluntary campaigns, scholarships, and psychosocial support. The Education sector’s strategic objectives are to improve the quality and equity of education in targeted communities, increase enrolment and decrease dropout rates, ensure a safe and stimulating learning environment, build the technical and professional capacities of school staff, enhance psychological support services to raise pupils’ resilience and provide a nurturing environment to foster cognitive, socio-emotional, and linguistic development. Workshops have also been established to promote cohesion between Syrian and Turkish students, encouraging discussion of their common causes and challenges of integrating into the Turkish university environment. Overall, WATAN’s Education sector is committed to developing the knowledge, personality, and trust of students, and supporting unique talents and abilities to prepare them for a successful future.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

WATAN’s education sector aims to provide quality and equitable education services to children and youth in crisis-affected areas, including both IDP and host communities. Our multi-component interventions cover various aspects of education, including Early Childhood Development (ECD), Formal Education, Informal Education, Higher Education, and Capacities and Life Skills Building.

Our ECD services provide integrated care and support to children aged 0-8 and their caregivers, with tailored models to address developmental needs and enhance school readiness for children aged 3-5. Our formal education program operates schools that provide primary, intermediate, and secondary education to pupils from different social contexts. We also cover school operational expenses, equipment, educational materials, pupils’ kits, and facilities rehabilitation.

Our informal education program offers non-formal education based on children’s needs, such as remedial classes, Accelerated Learning Programs (ALP), catch-up classes, literacy and numeracy classes, and Self-Learning Programs (SLP) at schools and other community facilities. We provide curriculum textbooks and related activity materials to support learning.

Our Higher Education program provides Syrian refugee youth and high school graduates with scholarships and language courses to pursue university-level education, increasing their chances of integration into the Syrian and Turkish labor markets.

Finally, our Capacities and Life Skills Building program focuses on building the technical and professional capacities of educational staff and empowering youth through extracurricular activities, including clubs and athletic and social events. These activities support integration efforts between internally displaced persons, refugees, and host communities.

SECTOR PHILOSOPHY AND DIFFERENTIATORS

WATAN’s education sector philosophy is rooted in a deep understanding of the essential components of the education process: teachers, pupils, and the educational environment. Our interventions are designed to empower these components with the best possible services to achieve our main goal of promoting community prosperity and rebuilding Syrian society. We accomplish this by creating welcoming learning spaces, preparing professional and trained teachers, and inspiring learning and change in Syrian children.

WATAN differentiates itself through several key factors. Firstly, our emergency response capability allows us to quickly and effectively respond to areas with a high influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and provide essential needs to hard-to-reach locations. Secondly, we place a high priority on psychosocial support for students, providing activities and programs for them and their parents in coordination with the protection sector.

Our well-trained and highly experienced staff provides a high-quality education, while we also work to develop and sponsor talented leaders and innovators. We prioritize school safety, with evacuation plans and drills provided in all our schools. Our aim is to provide high-quality, inclusive education, and we strive to involve students, teachers, and key community members in voluntary activities, encouraging youth to tackle societal challenges such as school dropouts, early marriage, and epidemic diseases.