Children and COVID-19 Research Library

The briefing note examines the impediments of access to learning caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in northwest Syria, further compounding issues caused by conflict and years of underinvestment in the education sector in Syria. Save the Children surveyed 489 teachers in northern Syria to try and understand what they see and believe when it comes to the reasons that lead children to drop out of education and what would it take to bring them back.

This report aims to highlight one major initiative, the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) implementation of the Reach Up and Learn program in the Middle East, and the ways in which this initiative is providing vital support to both children and their caregivers affected by the Syrian refugee crisis. The first section includes a description of the adaptation process, with following sections highlighting the diverse characteristics of frontline staff and clients, program costs and the early-stage measurement piloting conducted in preparation for the planned randomized controlled trial. By sharing these experiences and lessons learned, the report aims to provide practical guidance for early childhood leaders, practitioners, policy-makers and researchers interested in designing, delivering, testing and scaling home visiting programs in crisis- and conflict-affected settings.