Before the civil war, Syria had a strong educational system with almost 100% enrollment in primary school and 70% of children also attended secondary school. In 2002, education became compulsory and free from first grade to the end of high school. According to the 2004 census, the literacy rate in Syria was 79.6% : 86% of men and 73.6% of women could read and write.
Today, there are around 5.4 million children in Syria. About 2 million of these little ones are out of school and another million are at risk of dropping out.
One factor contributing to school dropouts is the disastrous economic situation. With rising fuel and prices for basic necessities, families choose not to send their children to school to avoid the “hidden costs” of education , such as transportation and teaching materials.
The education system in Syria is quite poor since the war broke out. It is estimated that one in three schools has been destroyed or seriously damaged, while others have become shelters or are used for other purposes. Some universities are still running and young people want to continue their studies in the hope of getting a job when peace finally sets in in Syria. In this country, university students can be exempted from military service and are less likely to be recruited by militias.
Above all, through education, Christians in the Middle East, and specifically in Syria, have played a decisive role in balancing a society with a highly diverse Muslim population. They are essential for the peaceful coexistence of religions.
Aid to the Church in Need is embarking on a project to support 550 university students from the Greek-Melkite Church with a monthly scholarship of € 20 to help finance the daily costs of their student life. will last the entire 2020-2021 school year, 8 months.
With your support, young Christians in Syria will be able to continue studying to forge a better future in their country.
You can be hope for all of them!
