Pathways to and Beyond Education in Jordan and Lebanon
Joint Report by the AUB Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education Calls for Renewed Attention to Address Less than 5% Enrolment of Refugee Youth in Secondary Education.
During a joint event at the American University of Beirut, the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs released the results of mapping around the state of refugee education in Jordan and Lebanon to identify key challenges inhibiting access and completion of secondary, technical and vocational (TVET), and tertiary education. Attending the event were policy practitioners from various institutions in Lebanon, researchers, members of the press community, representatives from the American University of Beirut and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education.
Key Findings
1. Although the funding for refugee education has not been sufficient, it has been largely focused on the primary level.
2. Significant gaps in access continue to persist at all levels of education, but most strikingly at the secondary level.
3. Vocational education lacks data, investment and quality interventions. Vocational education institutions and programs in Jordan and Lebanon remain largely traditional and are not seen as a desirable education pathway for youth.
4. While support for increasing access to higher education for refugees remains low, another critical challenge is its relevance to the labor market and the employability of refugees upon graduation. While refugees’ access to tertiary education needs to be addressed, with only 5-8% of Syrian and Palestinian refugees attending university in Jordan and Lebanon, the quality and relevance of education are also critical issues.
Dr. Hana A. El-Ghali, Education and Youth Policy Research Program, Program Director, IFI, AUB; Fida Alameddine, Project Coordinator, IFI, AUB; Dr. Samar Farah, Research Manager, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education; and Soraya Benchiba, Research Assistant, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education.
