Syrian schoolgirls drawing pictures on their desks at school.

Enabling Safe, Inclusive, and Quality Education in Syria .

Education | Advancing Quality Education | Safeguarding | Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
Middle East and North Africa

Syria Education Programme (SEP)

Project Dates: February 2018 - June 2022
Providing children living in Syria with a safe, inclusive, and high-quality education that meets their specialized learning, psychological, and protection needs.

Before the Syrian War, over 90% of all Syrian children were enrolled in school. Today, one in every three Syrian children is out of school. In early 2021, it was reported that the vast majority of Syrian children live in areas with “severe, extreme, or catastrophic” education conditions.  

In response to an ever-changing landscape of conflict and crisis, the Syria Education Programme (SEP) enables teachers, school staff, and education sector leadership to provide children with a high-quality education. Since 2018, SEP has supported over half a million children to access a high-quality and safe education.

From the specialized requirements of children with disabilities to the psychological demands of childhood within conflict, the challenges facing Syrian students are as diverse as they are urgent. SEP takes a nuanced approach to the myriad needs of individual children and groups. By broadening educational access, promoting a safe and secure environment, and creating high-quality learning opportunities, SEP strives to meet children’s holistic needs at scale.

To date, the programme has provided nearly half a million children with psychosocial support, helping them understand their emotions and cope with trauma.

From mass displacement and the pandemic to resurgent violence and livelihood insecurity, SEP continually adapts its approach to mitigate the impact of converging crises. The programme invests in and applies research to guide implementation and, ultimately, meet Syrian children’s psychological, educational, and protection needs.

Project Goals


  • Paying teachers to run schools and educate children
  • Strengthening school recruitment processes to attract teachers and improve educational outcomes
  • Running summer learning programmes and back-to-school campaigns to keep children in education and get out-of-school children back into education
  • Integrating mental health support into education through training social workers and providing high-risk children with specialized case management support
  • Protecting children through building appropriate school- and community-based safeguarding systems and improving schools’ emergency preparedness
  • Raising the quality of education by supplying teachers with long-term professional development, mentorship support, and structured lesson guides
  • Generating and sharing research and learning on how to deliver education programming in fragile and complex environments

This programme is funded by UK aid from the UK government.

UK aid logo with strapline

Our Impact Advancing Quality Inclusive Education for Children in Syria

Through the pioneering Syria Education Programme (also known as Manahel), Chemonics is providing children in northwest Syria with access to high-quality education and help to thrive in the face of conflict and multiple crises.

Before the Syrian War, over 90% of all Syrian children were enrolled in school. Today, one in every three Syrian children is out of school. In early 2021, it was reported that the vast majority of Syrian children live in areas with “severe, extreme, or catastrophic” education conditions.   In response to an ever-changing landscape…

Read Impact Story
A photograph of Lily and her teacher at the Manahel Special Education Centre
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The opening screen of a video about ICT-based learning in Syria

How ICT-enabled Distance-learning Makes Education Possible for Syrian Children

This presentation is based on field research conducted with a sample of learners and caregivers and will focus on technology as a key enabling factor in self-study programs.

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