Schooling Syrian refugees in Lebanon: building hopeful futures

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lebanon currently plays host to many thousands of refugees from Syria and Palestine. This paper describes research conducted with Syrian refugees on their experiences of schooling and education in Lebanon. Education offers new options and opportunities, and refugee’s value education as a means to improve their lives and secure their future. Not surprisingly, a good deal of refugee education literature highlights the importance of restoring or instituting lost or lack of knowledge, skills and competencies. However, as well as delivering technical proficiencies in literacy and numeracy, schools establish communities. They provide stability, safety, and security and construct communities of belonging. This paper is based on qualitative interviews with 98 individuals in Lebanon, including teachers, students and families associated with two public schools, two private schools and two informal schools in two different refugee camps. Drawing on theories of hope, this article focuses attention on the role of hope in achieving successful refugee schooling and education. The postcolonial approach adopted here bears in mind the effect of past conditions on present perceptions and future possibilities for the schooling of refugees.