Iraqi refugees in Jordan return to school

An update from the UNHCR:

Iraqi refugee children can continue their education in Jordan's public schools . UNHCR/S.Malkawi

With the support of the UN Refugee Agency, many Iraqi children have been joining public schools. UNHCR believes it is essential that all refugees continue to receive an education.

This past summer UNHCR conducted a campaign to increase school enrollment and to encourage Iraqi refugees who had exhausted their savings to transfer their children from private to public schools.

Despite Jordan's generosity in opening up its public schools, UNHCR is concerned that large numbers of children are still missing out on classes. Many cash-strapped Iraqi refugee families are opting to send all, or some, of their children out to work.

"My [older] brother has been out of school for three years because he has been forced to work to provide for our family," Laila revealed.

UNHCR is working with the government on building the capacity of public schools and examining the introduction of evening classes that children can attend after work. Other initiatives include non-diploma courses in areas such as computer skills, language and art, to equip people with marketable skills.

"One of the most crucial challenges that we face is that we do not lose the literacy and futures of a generation of Iraqi children due to displacement," said Imran Riza, UNHCR's representative to Jordan.

More than two million Iraqi refugees have fled from their homes to neighboring states, mostly Syria and Jordan.

That's one in every 10 people. Refugees. That's not including internally displaced persons, by the way.