2021 Syria Regional Appeal - Syria - Education in Emergencies 2021 Syria Regional Appeal - Syria - Education in Emergencies UNRWA in Syria continues to support the education of Palestine refugee students despite the conflict and displacement. In responding to the COVID-19 crisis, the Agency relied on its Education in Emergencies (EiE) approach, reconceptualised in five key areas: Continuity of Learning, Psychosocial Support (PSS), Safety and Security – Health and Hygiene issues, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). The adaptation of the Progamme has facilitated the roll-out of an emergency response that considered both pre-existing challenges and also the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, UNRWA will continue to deliver basic, quality and inclusive education to almost 51,000 Palestine refugees through 102 schools managed by the Agency across Syria, of which 39 are running on a second shift in buildings on loan from the Ministry of Education, to compensate for UNRWA schools that have been destroyed or severely damaged by the conflict. Through its Emergency Appeal, UNRWA will cover the cost of additional temporary staff hired (up to an estimated number of 265 daily paid teachers and school attendants) to address the increasing needs that have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Back-to-school kits and stationery will be procured and provided to students at the beginning of the academic year to alleviate some of the economic burden faced by parents. Through this appeal, summer learning activities will also be sustained. These interventions have become an integral part of UNRWA’s EiE modality, delivering academic, extracurricular and psychosocial support activities to students during the summer months. Conducting summer learning will be contingent on the COVID-19 situation in the country during summer 2021. In addition, support classes will be organized for 9th Grade students.  Self-learning materials will continue to be updated and be available to all students. Where needed, UNRWA will support/subsidize internet and SMS costs for teachers and students (up to 25,500 students and 2,000 education staff), and will provide tablets/mobile devices for cases of extreme vulnerability (for an estimated 1,000 vulnerable students). In case of new school closures, catch-up classes will be organized for all students to compensate for the loss of learning time. A number of training sessions, incorporating COVID-19 prevention measures, will be conducted for teachers and principals on topics such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), Child Protection, and Addressing Violence against Children (AVAC).  Similar training sessions will be delivered to parents through parent-teacher associations (PTAs), which will continue to play a pivotal role in developing a holistic approach to education for Palestine refugees. UNRWA will also continue to provide psychosocial support to address the additional stress created by the COVID-19 pandemic, by deploying psychosocial counsellors in all of its schools with the aim of providing individual and group counselling and support to students and teachers, in addition to the provision of recreational activities, if the context allows. UNRWA in Syria continues to support the education of Palestine refugee students despite the conflict and displacement. In responding to the COVID-19 crisis, the Agency relied on its Education in Emergencies (EiE) approach, reconceptualised in five key areas: Continuity of Learning, Psychosocial Support (PSS), Safety and Security – Health and Hygiene issues, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). The adaptation of the Progamme has facilitated the roll-out of an emergency response that considered both pre-existing challenges and also the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, UNRWA will continue to deliver basic, quality and inclusive education to almost 51,000 Palestine refugees through 102 schools managed by the Agency across Syria, of which 39 are running on a second shift in buildings on loan from the Ministry of Education, to compensate for UNRWA schools that have been destroyed or severely damaged by the conflict. Through its Emergency Appeal, UNRWA will cover the cost of additional temporary staff hired (up to an estimated number of 265 daily paid teachers and school attendants) to address the increasing needs that have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Back-to-school kits and stationery will be procured and provided to students at the beginning of the academic year to alleviate some of the economic burden faced by parents. Through this appeal, summer learning activities will also be sustained. These interventions have become an integral part of UNRWA’s EiE modality, delivering academic, extracurricular and psychosocial support activities to students during the summer months. Conducting summer learning will be contingent on the COVID-19 situation in the country during summer 2021. In addition, support classes will be organized for 9th Grade students.  Self-learning materials will continue to be updated and be available to all students. Where needed, UNRWA will support/subsidize internet and SMS costs for teachers and students (up to 25,500 students and 2,000 education staff), and will provide tablets/mobile devices for cases of extreme vulnerability (for an estimated 1,000 vulnerable students). In case of new school closures, catch-up classes will be organized for all students to compensate for the loss of learning time. A number of training sessions, incorporating COVID-19 prevention measures, will be conducted for teachers and principals on topics such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), Child Protection, and Addressing Violence against Children (AVAC).  Similar training sessions will be delivered to parents through parent-teacher associations (PTAs), which will continue to play a pivotal role in developing a holistic approach to education for Palestine refugees. UNRWA will also continue to provide psychosocial support to address the additional stress created by the COVID-19 pandemic, by deploying psychosocial counsellors in all of its schools with the aim of providing individual and group counselling and support to students and teachers, in addition to the provision of recreational activities, if the context allows.