60% out of school a Syrian generation without education

Lebanon is facing a major education gap among non-Lebanese children, the majority of whom are Syrian. Estimates for the 2024–2025 school year indicate that around 60% of children aged 3 to 18 were out of education.

At the same time, around 104,000 non-Lebanese students were enrolled in afternoon shifts at public schools, around 25,000 in morning shifts, and nearly 5,000 at the secondary level.

The problem goes beyond school capacity. Transportation costs, books and school supplies, poverty that pushes some children into work, and obstacles related to official documents all prevent large numbers of children from accessing education or remaining in school.

As the new school year approaches, alongside the return of Syrians to their country, another challenge is emerging. Thousands of children have spent years outside the education system, creating a significant gap between their age and academic level and making it harder for them to return to school, whether in Lebanon or Syria.

In response, the Ministry of Education is preparing a one-time exceptional national assessment for children who are outside formal education but have previously participated in non-formal learning programs. The assessment will cover Arabic, a foreign language, and mathematics, with the aim of determining their academic level, helping eligible children reintegrate into formal education, or documenting what they have learned to support their return to school in Syria.

The issue therefore goes beyond the number of children currently in Lebanon. It concerns an entire generation that has spent years of childhood outside the classroom, with serious risks of permanent dropout, child labour, and long-term barriers to completing their education.