According to many international organizations, quality education is not only limited to providing educational material but also requires sustainable environments at all levels. The creation of an integrated society is undoubtedly a long-term process that depends on efforts to create a healthy learning environment able to invest all the capacities and energies in the right place. Perhaps one of the most significant barriers a society may face is the lack of young people’s access to educational services.

The Definition of Quality Education

Quality education is one of the sustainable development goals, and the UN describes  this goal as ensuring “inclusive and equitable quality education and [promoting] lifelong learning opportunities for all.”¹

Achieving SDG 4 targets

Some of the targets the UN lists for achieving SDG 4 (quality education) include ensuring that children have access to:

1. Pre-primary education.
2. Free primary and secondary education.
3. Affordable technical, vocational, and higher education options (such as college and university).¹

It’s not enough for education to be accessible, it also has to add value to the lives of students. An increase in school enrollment rates does not mean that students will have basic life skills. This leaves them unprepared for the labor market and gives them very little hope for breaking out of the cycle of poverty.¹

 Challenges in Syria

The war in Syria and the economic crisis that the country is currently going through are leaving an estimated 2.5 million children out of school.²

In addition, education in Syria faces many challenges. Some of which are:

1. Insufficient resources are available for education.
2. Failure to prioritize quality control and monitoring learning outcomes.
3. Mismanagement of data and classification of information for each region. This leads to less accurate assessments of quality education trends and needs across Syria.²

Interested Bodies in Achieving Quality Education in Syria

Today, several bodies are working to provide educational services in Syria, in an effort to reach a good educational level and help the country advance, We showcase a few:

• Uplifting Syrian Women initiative:
  A non-profit, educational, and awareness-raising digital initiative,  through publishing awareness-raising articles in various fields, in addition to providing free workshops and training. In order to empower Syrian women and provide equal access to quality education for all.
• Syrian Youth Assembly (SYA):
  A non-profit organization is concerned with the capacity development of Syrian youth around the world. That is through educational programs which provide many scholarships allowing students to access global educational platforms for free.
• Paper Airplanes:
  An organization concerned with providing quality education to conflict-affected individuals; by offering free online education courses and workshops. The courses include English language teaching and educating women on computer technology.
• Caritas Syria:
  A global relief organization that provides many educational services such as paying for private school tuition, and providing enrichment classes for students. In addition to providing vouchers for school bags and stationery for school students, bank checks for undergraduates, and many other services.
• The German-Syrian Research Society (DSFG):
  A non-profit organization that supports Syrian students and scholars in their studies and work and, in addition, obtains the relevant scholarships so that they can continue their scientific careers in Germany.
• Syrian Computer Society (SCS):
  This association has adopted many development goals;  some of which are worth noting: cooperating with educational authorities to develop curricula for the Information Systems field, and using them in developing other educational curricula. In addition to organizing many projects and free courses in the field of information technology and computer use.
• Sanad Team for Development:
  A youth team working to empower youth and develop their skills. It works on networking young people’s ideas with sponsors and companies. It helps young people enroll in educational or training programs and find job opportunities. In addition to introducing students to their academic specialization in a practical way, and conducting specialized training programs.

The Uplifting Syrian Women initiative believes that every human being has the right to education, and it is the basis for building the human. From this standpoint, the initiative emphasizes providing full support to effective organizations and institutions that provide educational services to the Syrian community.

Also read:

• Goal 4: Quality Education.
• End Poverty and End Hanger in Syria.
• Good Health and Well-being in Syria.

References: 

[1] Concern USA

[2] MEI