Education and Social Inclusion of Syrian Refugees in Turkey
Turkey currently hosts an estimated 3 million Syrian refugees, many of whom are school aged children who have had their educational years disrupted by violence. The number of Syrian refugee children residing in Turkey continues to grow as new children are born in the country. Turkey has worked to provide education to the Syrian youth but the challenges remain as approximately 40 percent of all refugees are school aged children who face the threat of becoming a “lost generation.” Providing educational opportunities to refugee children is a critical part of the social inclusion process. Turkey is in the process of integrating all enrolled Syrian students into its national education system while the international community’s support continues to fall short. The EU, in particular, can play an important role in helping to create long-term strategies to address the educational needs of Syrian refugees in a more sustainable manner.
The SETA Foundation at Washington DC is pleased to host a panel discussion on educational challenges and dynamics of social inclusion of Syrian refugees in Turkey
Panelists:
Mehmet Gulluoglu, President, The Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD)
Ercan Demirci, Deputy Undersecretary, Turkish Ministry of National Education
Juliette Tolay, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Penn State University, Harrisburg
Atilla Arkan, Director of Education and Social Policies, The SETA Foundation
Moderated by Kilic Kanat, Research Director, The SETA Foundation at Washington D.C.