Provision of life-sustaining equitable education and learning opportunities for crisis-affected girls/boys in NW Syria The project aims at providing 14208 crisis-affected children (6678 boys, 7530 girls, age and sex disaggregated as done in the needs assessment) safe access to life-sustaining equitable non-formal and formal education services provided within a protective and child-friendly environment in 16 schools in Idleb (Armanaz, Dana, Harim, Qourqeena, and Salqin) and Aleppo (Al-Bab) Governorates, with protection activities mainstreamed.

The project will provide learning opportunities for these students during and after COVID-19, to ensure continuity of children’s education, as follows:

1. Non-Formal Education will be provided for 1536 school children (722 boys, 814 girls aged 5-17yrs) in 4 learning centers in Idleb governorate through a distance learning modality by creation of WhatsApp groups to maintain due communication between teachers and children, where contacts of the parents/caregivers of the students will be obtained and groups in WhatsApp created to provide instructions and check in on children’s progress at home.
Shafak estimates (as per lessons learnt from ongoing distance learning interventions) to reach around 70% of targeted children (1076) with distance learning, while the remaining children (460) who are unable to participate within the WhatsApp Group created, given their inaccessibility to smartphones, will be reached regular bi-weekly home based visits to follow up their progress, to maintain the Do No Harm principle, and to make sure no child is left behind. (please see attached Distance Learning Modality document for further elaboration).
These online classes will start immediately and run in 1 cycle in the summer to allow transition to formal education in the beginning of the school year 2020/2021. Self-Learning Program (SLP) books (provided from a secured fund by Shafak) will be distributed, taking into consideration April 2020 cluster guide note and WHO guidelines for distribution. (please see attached Shafak updated distribution SoPs for education supplies).

2. Formal education services will be provided for 12,672 school children (5956 boys, 6716 girls aged 5-17yrs) in 12 schools in Idleb and Aleppo governorates at the beginning of the school year 2020/2021 following the normal classroom modality (with plans set for transition back to distance learning modality, based on developments of COVID 19 on the ground).

3. Psycho-social Support (PSS) sessions will be conducted aiming at providing parents and caregivers with tips about how crucial it is to connect emotionally with children, understand their concerns, be aware of any situation leading to violence and abuse, and to thereby create an environment which is as normalized and joyful as it can possibly be.

4. Repair of learning spaces will be made to classrooms, gender-sensitive and disability-friendly WASH facilities on a small scale as needed in line with WASH sector guidelines. Contractors will be engaged through a local tender process that follows Shafak standards and procedures. 

5. Professional Development: Teaching staff will be delivered online trainings on signs of distress to enable them to identify and refer children who may have specific child protection needs. The trainings aim at supporting teachers with ways of identification and referral of children who could access education.

6. Shafak ensures that recruited staff and education personnel are not paid by any other party.

The project targets schools according to needs assessment and in coordination with education stakeholders and partners to make sure they are not supported and to prevent any overlap in the provision of services.