Access to education for Syrian refugee children and youth in Jordan host communities

While the Jordanian government has taken considerable measures to accommodate the Syrian refugee influx, it has become clear to key stakeholders that Syrian refugee children are experiencing many barriers in accessing education, which are not fully understood. To address this gap in information, the Education Sector Working Group (ESWG) initiated a joint education needs assessment (JENA), with funding from UNICEF and technical support from REACH — the first to be undertaken in the Jordanian host community since the beginning of the Syrian crisis.

This nationwide assessment was designed by the ESWG, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education JENA taskforce and the REACH/ACTED team to identify immediate priorities, challenges, needs and mitigation measures, with a particular focus on capacities and needs of Syrian refugee children aged 6-174, as well as exploring issues facing youth aged 18 to 24. A nationwide household survey was conducted to achieve a statistically significant sample of Syrian refugee households. In addition, 24 categories of key community stakeholder populations were identified and interviewed through focus group discussions (FGDs).