Smiles and hope: faces of Syrian refugee children who just want to be in school

The plight of young Syrian refugees has been making headlines throughout 2016. Millions of them have fled with their families from conflict, extremism and persecution. 

All they want in their new host countries is a safe and secure home and to be in school with their friends. Theirworld and our A World at School movement has been highlighting the plight of Syrian refugee children and campaigning for every one of them to have access to a quality education.

If they are not in school and learning, these children – who have already been through so much – are at risk of child labour, child marriage, recruitment into armed forces and exploitation.

Here, in pictures, we pay tribute to the incredible courage and hope shown by these hundreds of thousands of children. And read on to find out how you can help in the struggle to get all Syrian refugee children into school.

The governments of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan – host to huge numbers of Syrian refugees – have been trying their best to accommodate as many children as possible into their state school systems. But they desperately need financial aid from the international community.

In February, world leaders meeting in London promised to give the funding needed to get one million Syrian refugees into school in the 2016-17 academic year. But hundreds of thousands of children are still out of school and urgent action is needed if huge numbers of young people are to avoid spending another year out of school.
 
Please add your name to the growing movement calling on the co-hosts of the Syria conference to keep their promise and help to get one million refugee children into school and learning.