Syria: Education in Exile

Syria, access to education is a major challenge for children and adolescents who have fled violence. For over a decade, war has devastated the country, destroying schools and infrastructure, compromising the future of an entire generation by depriving them of stability and learning. Faced with this urgency, Libraries Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council are working together to preserve their access to education. 

Education, a Humanitarian Emergency 

Triggered in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring, violently suppressed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the Syrian conflict has profoundly disrupted the country’s education system. Thousands of schools have been destroyed or converted into makeshift shelters, and access to education remains limited in many regions. According to UNICEF, more than 2.4 million Syrian children are still out of school today, while 1.6 million are failing academically or at risk of dropping out. Despite the fall of the regime, educational needs remain pressing, particularly with the gradual return of refugees from neighboring countries – Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey – and internally displaced persons attempting to return to their towns and villages. 

In the Mahmoudli and Areesha camps, where thousands of displaced families live, education remains a daily challenge. A school is present, but it cannot meet the needs of all students due to a lack of educational materials. To address these gaps, BSF and NRC are intervening in six educational centers across both camps by deploying 48 Ideas Cubes, small computer servers transformed into digital libraries.

Even without an Internet connection, these devices enable teachers and their students to access thousands of resources: textbooks, digital books, educational videos, and interactive exercises. 

“In Syrian displacement camps, ensuring continuity of education and offering children and young people the possibility of one day returning to public school is a priority. The Ideas Cube allows teachers to present complex subjects, such as mathematics or science, in a clear and visual way, while awakening students’ curiosity, making them feel more motivated to learn and discover new things.” Julie Pinochet, Coordinator of BSF’s Middle East Projects. 

Thanks to this content, young people can not only continue their schooling but also expand their knowledge in various fields such as languages, sciences, and digital literacy.  

Educational and Psychosocial Support 

Beyond the displacement camps, BSF’s work also extends to Raqqa, the former capital of the Islamic State, where needs for protection, psychosocial support, and informal education remain considerable, despite the terrorist organization’s departure. With partner organizations Un Ponte Per and DOZ, the Ideas Cube is used to complement a physical library in a youth center and a center dedicated to women and girls. 

Young people benefit from workshops that help them improve their skills in mathematics, science, and Arabic while promoting their social integration. For women and girls, sessions focus on psychosocial support, cohesion, well-being, protection, access to information on gender-based violence, maternal and child health, as well as empowerment. 

“It is essential to be able to access books in a destroyed city. Thanks to the project, children now have a safe space to read, play, and learn together. We were also able to extend our activities outside the centers, working with the latest wave of internally displaced persons in Raqqa and using tablets, books, and videos in collective emergency shelters. This offers children and women a moment of respite, allowing them to escape reality for a few hours.” F.I., Head of “Protection and Education” Projects, Un Ponte Per. 

Financially supported by the Crisis and Support Centre of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, this project aims to provide a sustainable response to the educational challenges posed by the “Syrian crisis.” 

In 2026, alongside its local partners, BSF will continue to support the return of internally displaced persons and refugees by creating bridges to formal education. With 40% of schools destroyed or damaged in the country, we will intervene in public institutions to improve the quality of teaching by providing adapted educational resources and training teachers. 

For the Reconstruction of the Daraya Library 

At the same time, BSF is also supporting Syria’s cultural reconstruction by contributing to the restoration of the Daraya library, a symbol of resistance that served as a refuge under the bombs. 

In her book, The Book Smugglers of Daraya, Delphine Minoui tells the incredible story of this clandestine library in a city besieged by Bashar al-Assad’s regime. For four years, residents risked their lives to collect, preserve, and share books, transforming their library into a true space of hope and resilience. 

Today, a new chapter opens for Daraya: BSF, La Guilde, and INARA are joining forces to rebuild the library, a project sponsored by Delphine Minoui and led by the city’s youth – which you too can support here. 

Because access to culture and reading are essential for rebuilding after war, this project aims to restore hope and offer new generations the keys to building their future.  

As Syria continues to face immense humanitarian challenges since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the implementation of innovative educational solutions is the best chance for thousands of children and young adults to recover.