March 13, 2017 — An IRC survey of about 3,000 school children at five schools in northern Syria indicates that Syrian children’s maths skills are falling far behind pre-war levels. The IRC supports more than 3,500 students in five schools in northern Syria.
- Six years in, the war in Syria is taking a major toll on children’s maths and reading skills
- Though the country historically has enjoyed high literacy rates, one-third – 1.75 million – of Syrian children today are out of school, and 5.8 million need education assistance
- The IRC is responding with education and social-emotional learning programmes to help
According to the survey:
- One-third of thirteen-year olds (35 percent) were unable to complete a reading task designed for seven year olds and nearly half (46 percent) were unable to complete the equivalent maths task.
- There was an even wider gap amongst eleven year olds, with more than half (59 percent) unable to complete the reading task and nearly two thirds (64 percent) unable to complete the maths task designed for seven year olds.
- The survey also demonstrated the extent to which boys were particularly struggling, with thirteen year old boys more than twice as likely as their female classmates to fail reading and writing tasks designed for seven year olds.
David Miliband, CEO and President of the International Rescue Committee, said: “Even in the middle of war parents still strive to ensure their children get an education. However, even for those fortunate enough to attend school, trauma and displacement leave children with emotional scars that can dramatically inhibit their ability learn. We are storing up huge problems for tomorrow if we do not give Syrian children the resources they need to heal, develop and thrive.”
In response to the challenges outlined in the survey, the IRC is providing social-emotional learning (SEL) along with reading and maths programs for children in Syria to help them recover from trauma and develop the skills they need to do well in school and in life. SEL skills enable children to manage information without being distracted, use their working memory, control their impulses, get along with others, and persevere. IRC research shows that SEL improves student’s reading and maths scores. The organisation also supports 160 teachers to provide classes for primary and secondary school students, including Arabic, maths, social studies, art, and sports.
After six years of war the situation facing children in Syria is dire. More than a quarter of the children surveyed have had to flee their homes and many have seen the impact of the fighting and air strikes. It is estimated that nearly a third of Syria’s 5.8 million school-aged children are not receiving an education (1.75 million), and a third of schools have been damaged or are now unusable due to the conflict.
The IRC has been delivering aid into Syria since 2012 and last year reached more than 1 million Syrians inside their country.
Notes for Editors
- The age of the children has been converted from the US grading system (eg. 13 year old = grade 8), and therefore may not align exactly.
- They couldn’t complete the tasks of reading a 60-word story or subtracting one maths problem designed for seven year olds.
- Only 23 percent of seventh-grade boys could successfully complete the reading task, compared to 59 percent of girls. Just 19 percent of boys in the seventh-grade could complete the maths task, compared to 45 percent of girls.
- The assessment was carried out in November 2016 in five IRC-supported schools in Idlib Governorate. The sample covered 2,846 children (1,255 boys and 1,591 girls).