Enab Baladi – Bana Manla

Syrian students returning from Turkey are facing challenges in continuing their education within Syrian schools, with their limited command of the Arabic language being the most prominent of these challenges. This obstacle leads to academic regression, forcing many of them to repeat previous grades, in light of the absence of sufficient support programs to help them adapt to the new educational system in Syria.

Reception procedures for returnees

With a growing number of Syrian students returning from Turkey, it became necessary to establish mechanisms for their integration into schools. Some schools have resorted to administrative and academic measures aimed at assessing students’ levels and assisting them in adapting to an educational environment that differs from what they were accustomed to in Turkey.

Some schools require returning students from Turkey to provide documentation proving their academic levels, followed by tests to evaluate their proficiency in core subjects such as Arabic and Mathematics.

However, the results of these tests often reveal weaknesses in Arabic language skills, resulting in these students falling behind their actual academic levels.

Sari al-Rahmoun, the principal of one of the schools, explained to Enab Baladi that this weakness stems from the years students spent in Turkey, where the Turkish language was predominant in education and daily life.

He added that schools are trying to compensate for this deficiency by providing extra lessons for an additional hour each day after school hours, but this measure is insufficient to bridge the educational gap.

Behind every student is a story

Behind every student returning from Turkey is a story that reveals the extent of the struggle they face in attempting to integrate into the Syrian educational system.

Many of these students are forced to repeat earlier grades or enroll in levels lower than what they were in Turkey, which negatively affects their morale and academic performance.

The stories of some returning students reflect the magnitude of the difficulties they encounter when returning to Syrian schools.

Hassan Haitham al-Ibrahim, who was studying in the tenth grade in the city of Mardin, Turkey, was placed back in the eighth grade upon his return due to his weakness in Arabic.

His father told Enab Baladi that his son faces “significant” difficulty in adapting, leading to a decline in his academic performance and a loss of desire to learn.

As for Hanan, who was studying in the sixth grade in the city of Samsun, Turkey, she was placed back in the fifth grade, while her younger sister was placed in the third grade.

Their father explained that they tried to learn Arabic in mosques in Turkey, but it was not enough to assist them in integrating within the Syrian educational system.

Rabaa Mustafa, a student returning from Tekirdağ province to Idlib, faced difficulties due to her weakness in Arabic.

Despite being placed in the third grade according to her academic level in Turkey, teachers noticed that she struggled to grasp the Arabic curriculum, prompting them to suggest transferring her to the second grade to facilitate her integration.

Possible solutions

In light of these challenges, the need for effective solutions to assist returning students in overcoming educational, psychological, and social difficulties is evident.

This requires the collective efforts of educational authorities, teachers, and parents to ensure a smooth transition for these students into the Syrian educational system.

Mazen Rashidoglu, an educational advisor and certified trainer for the rehabilitation of Syrian teachers in Turkey, believes that integrating children returning from exile into the Syrian educational system requires adopting a set of effective measures to ensure their academic, psychological, and social adaptation.

The first of these steps is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of returning students, aiming to identify their academic weaknesses through accurate evaluative tests.

After that, programs should be provided to enhance students’ skills in areas where they show deficiencies, enabling them to reach a level comparable to their peers in the Syrian educational system.

Rashidoglu also emphasized the importance of providing psychological and social support programs for returning children, as many suffer from cultural shocks due to transitions between different educational and cultural environments.

Therefore, it is crucial to offer psychological support sessions to help children adapt to the changes they face.

On another note, he stressed the need for organizing academic reinforcement courses in core subjects such as Arabic and history, in line with the Syrian curricula. These programs contribute to bridging knowledge gaps resulting from differences in educational curricula between countries, ensuring equal academic opportunities for all.

Rashidoglu highlighted the importance of adopting modern teaching methods and utilizing technology and contemporary educational tools to enhance academic achievement.

He also views continuous training for teachers as essential for effectively addressing students with diverse educational backgrounds.

Finally, it is necessary to streamline the administrative procedures related to enrolling returning students from exile and simplifying the processes of equivalency for their previous educational certificates, to avoid administrative obstacles that might frustrate students and their families, thereby impeding their integration process.

In this context, Rashidoglu believes that enhancing the identity and national belonging of children is fundamental, by organizing activities that connect children to their cultural and national identity in a positive manner, thereby fostering their sense of pride and belonging to their homeland.

The successful integration of students returning from Turkey into Syrian schools requires comprehensive efforts that include academic, psychological, and social support, ensuring that the challenges they face do not become a permanent barrier to their educational future.