Currently, a number close to three million Syrian children are out of school and aren’t receiving any type of formal or informal education. Many children are part of families who have left Syria and gone to neighboring countries, making schooling even more difficult. Out of all international humanitarian aid, only a mere 2% is given to funding education. Pearson, a global education publisher, is spending around $1.5 million dollars to help solve Syria’s refugee education crisis. In addition, Pearson spent almost $800k on two education centers in Amman, Jordan, which are run by Save the Children. According to Amanda Gardiner, vice president of sustainability and social innovation at Pearson, the need for education “is enormous. Access to schooling is not the only issue – the quality of education has declined as a result of overcrowded classrooms, curriculum complexities, cultural barriers and other challenges. Absorbing the influx of refugees has been an immense struggle for Syria’s neighbors.” Finding enough teachers for the large amount of students proves just as challenging. Rob Williams, chief executive of War Child UK, says that “Children in Jordan’s Zaa’tari refugee camp have told us about classes with 120 students and one teacher. Some families might be motivated enough to find $1 to send their children to school if there was a private one” Children desperately need schooling, and the long-term impact of Syrian children never returning to school or receiving education has been estimated at 5.4% of Syria’s GDP, according to Save the Children.

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