Upon summoning my creative inspiration (-al juices) to determine the intent of today’s blog post, I confess my ability to become side-tracked amidst a myriad of information as provided by the research capability of the internet. I must ask, how grateful is my generation for the technological revolution we began to witness at primary school age or before?

I can still remember the initial sessions of “Computer Lab” and its positive correlation to my position in the world today, at Columbus Elementary during my 4th and 5th grade school years at the ages of 9 and 10. Such a ripe learning age, with the safety of a warm-hearted computer lab teacher, the room warmed by extensively heat-producing ’90s Macintosh computing technology, the rhythmic humming of dozens of computer’s fans to still the chatter of our little bodies… Yes, it was a very warm, safe, and pleasant way to learn the basics of computer skills. And, without these learning experiences in my primary school, surely I would be even further behind in the technological revolution that I am already now.

Whats that?? There’s just been a discovered a gaping hole in the time and space continuum and the lab sessions I attended as primary schooler are being interrupted by the Second American Civil War, the ’90s are now a time of rebellion and the use of various weapons of war by the US government against its own people are now part of my personal history??… Hang on! This hypothetical situation was created by me (KP the blogger) to instill sensations of terror into my peaceful memoires so that I may better understand the context of the Reality for the young primary school age children of Syria in present time.

After allowing space for introductory prose, there is now a need to concern my 2nd blog post with updates of the effects that the Civil War in Syria has upon the development of education within Syria and in regional context. Following the Brooking’s Institute’s education and development blog, the article “Responding to Syria’s Education Crisis for the International Community,” posted on Oct. 24th by Xanthe Ackerman, has inspired me to seek awareness of the effects that conflict has upon the individual’s ability to develop their own personal faculties. The article primarily concerns itself with the inability for Syria’s regional neighbors to respond to burgeoning flow of Syrian war refugees, especially in terms of educational capacity.

There seems to be no end in sight to the conflict, but as time passes, Syrian refugees are falling further behind in the globalized context of today’s competitive world economy. How is this disparity (whose effects for the 2.5 million refugees will be experienced in the coming future at a level of Nation-State proportion, as is the nature of a civil war to permeate the entire nation-state across multiple levels of human existence, education and development in this context)

The facts are as thus:

Before the conflict began, 93% of children were enrolled in primary school, and 67% in secondary school. Following the conflict, 90% of Syrian children ages 6-17 are estimated to be Out of School… That leaves us with a current 3% operational efficacy of Syrian schools.

3,000 Syrian schools have been damaged or destroyed since conflict began in 2011.

Lebanon is harboring 1/4 of Syrian Refugee children in its schools, thus reducing the learning capacity of Lebanese school age nationals due to the influx of neighboring refugees.

UNICEF and other organizations are responding to the crisis, but the number refugees exceeds the quantity of basic and educational resources, especially in the border-towns. For example, in Turkey’s border towns, refugees outnumber Turkish nationals 2-1.

Gender differences are also playing a pivotal role in the provision of education for Syrian refugee children, reportedly, as displaced Syrian families are restricting the movement of young women especially for fear of their safety amidst their status of refugia.

The UN Syrian Regional Response Plan 4 is coordinated to provide for 1.1 million, but projections for refugees is expected to exceed 3.4 million by the end of this year.

These facts being introduced, there are great concerns for regional stability in the short run, as well as for the learning capabilities in the long run for the many Syrians displaced by the conflict.

The international community and especially the Middle East is again facing a war-crisis whose effect’s will echo throughout the currents of time and space, and in my particular interest, the loss of learning potential for the many young people ages 4-24 which will harbor socioeconomic restraint against them as they struggle to rise out of refugee status.

My question is—How will refugees, who have already their homes, belongings, and localized ability to obtain a livelihood through social connections and trade, be assured to provide for themselves and their families without the guardians of knowledge to guide them? I apologize if that question is unclear, but as anything associated with the Middle East proves to be thus, there is indeed no simple question, nor answer to be associated with the recent developments in the Syrian Conflict.

In conclusion, the article by Ackerman includes several bulleted points which are to be kept in mind by the readers and international community. I highlight this one:

• 5. Youth voices provide important input for policy…. There are many Syrian youth leaders.

Corresponding with the nature of revolutionary crisis’, the interest of the youth (because they represent the future and are the direct inheritors of the choices of the present) should be kept in consideration for policy making organizations during and following the Syrian conflict. The international community would be wise to hear from the viewpoints of these displaced youth, those who are willing to speak up and then, hopefully we can see a new dawn for the future of the Syrian people. Until then, there is much to heed attention to.

K. Purdy on the status of education for 2.5 million Syrian refugees, 11.3.2013