Turkish Education reveals the percentage of Syrian refugee children dropping out of schools in Turkey

The Turkish Ministry of Education reported that there are 771,458 students in Turkish schools who hold a “temporary protection” card (Kamlik). For its part, the General Directorate of Migration Management in Turkey confirmed that more than a third of Syrian refugee children in the country do not receive education and do not go to any educational institution.

Turkish Education Minister Mahmud Ozer said: “Syrian children receive education in Turkey the same as Turkish children.”

He added that Turkey is implementing and partnering with some countries to support educational services for refugee students.

He pointed out that the ministry has employed 3,178 Turkish teachers, 18 Arabic language teachers and 317 guidance counselors within the scope of the project for Syrian students to attend their classes, in addition to the presence of 1,441 cleaners and 385 unarmed security guards in schools where Syrian children are concentrated.

He pointed out that the educational process in the “Euphrates Shield” area in northwestern Syria is witnessing a remarkable improvement, as he indicated that his country has established several centers for general education in which courses are offered in the Turkish language, sewing, embroidery, hairdressing, literacy, telephone, electricity and computer repair.

The directorate indicated that the number of Syrian children in Turkey is 1,247 thousand Syrian children of school age, of whom 800,000 are children under temporary protection who go to school, while nearly 450,000 of these children do not go to any educational institution.

An official with the United Nations Children’s Fund “UNICEF” had previously spoken about the fate of thousands of Syrian teachers in Turkey, who are now threatened with dismissal procedures against the backdrop of changes made to the “Voluntary Education Support Program for Syrian Teachers.”