40% of Syrian Children in Turkey Not in School

Nearly half a million Syrian refugee children are currently enrolled in schools across Turkey. But despite a more than 50% increase in enrolment since last June, over 40% of children of school-going age, or 380,000 child refugees, are still missing out on an education. “For the first time since the start of the Syrian crisis, there are more Syrian children in Turkey attending class than there are out of school,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth, speaking after a visit to UNICEF programs in southern Turkey, the organization’s press center reported on January 19. “Turkey should be commended for this huge achievement. But unless more resources are provided, there is still a very real risk of a ‘lost generation’ of Syrian children, deprived of the skills they will one day need to rebuild their country.” Turkey is home to more than 1.2 million child refugees, making it the top child refugee hosting country in the world.