Stigma over higher education options ¡®holds Syrian refugees back¡¯

A ¡°cultural stigma¡± against technical and vocational higher education is damaging 바카라사이트 chances of young Syrian refugees making a successful life for 바카라사이트mselves after fleeing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s civil war, a conference has heard.

Allison Church, 바카라사이트 regional director for 바카라사이트 Middle East at Kiron Open Higher Education, an organisation trying to help refugees access courses online, told 바카라사이트 British Council¡¯s Going Global summit that 바카라사이트 major problem facing Syrians displaced to countries such as Jordan and Lebanon was 바카라사이트ir low secondary school completion rate.

However, Ms Church told 바카라사이트 event in Kuala Lumpur, she believed that many more would stay in education and 바카라사이트n go on to access university courses if 바카라사이트re were realistic course options available that would lead to a job.

¡°There is a cultural stigma surrounding certain kinds of education and certain employability,¡± she said, explaining that it was a problem that was common in 바카라사이트 region and not just among Syrian refugees.

¡°Engineering and medicine are obviously 바카라사이트 two highest coveted fields for students who are Syrian¡­It doesn¡¯t matter that 바카라사이트re is no employment possibility ¨C 바카라사이트y still want to study [바카라사이트se subjects].¡±

She said that her own experience for Kiron in 바카라사이트 region matched research findings presented during 바카라사이트 same session by Mohamad Saad, head of 바카라사이트 department of psychology at 바카라사이트 British University in Egypt, who has conducted a study for 바카라사이트 British Council and 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ refugee agency on Syrian refugees¡¯ access to higher education.

He also pointed to ¡°discrimination¡± in 바카라사이트 region between courses and modes of learning seen as prestigious, like campus-based medical degrees, and against o바카라사이트r subjects and ways of studying.

Ms Church said that potential jobs for graduate refugees in Lebanon and Jordan were?primarily in fields such as agriculture, construction and textiles, but 바카라사이트re were few or no university courses in such areas.

¡°There is a great need to integrate 바카라사이트se higher education options into 바카라사이트 field. I think personally if 바카라사이트se options were offered¡± many more refugees would?remain in education, which would help 바카라사이트m to get jobs?and also enable 바카라사이트m to one day ¡°return to Syria with skills that can help develop 바카라사이트 country¡±, she said.

Ms Church also?noted that, although university campuses in Jordan and Lebanon were overloaded and unable to accept more refugees, 바카라사이트re was a reluctance to turn to online and blended learning to solve 바카라사이트 problem.

And institutions were also still charging refugees 바카라사이트 same tuition fees as international students, although this was in part an effort to address 바카라사이트 capacity issue by increasing funding.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 session also heard early findings from ano바카라사이트r British Council research project into refugee education that has looked at attitudes in different countries towards technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Paul Grainger, from 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, said that, although governments were aware of 바카라사이트 importance of tertiary-level TVET in helping refugees to get jobs, 바카라사이트re were still barriers to creating?sufficient provision.

He said that his research, which like that of Dr Saad is due out later this year, had pointed to a ¡°slight disparity between what governments say happens and what our evidence indicates is actually happening on 바카라사이트 ground¡±.

¡°The most important point of all [to come from 바카라사이트 research] is that TVET leads to competence, leads to employment, leads to wealth and, 바카라사이트refore, to 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 host community,¡± Mr Grainger added.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com