Delivering Quality Education to Refugee Children in Jordan

New research from the United Nations shows that more than half (51 per cent) of the world’s 14.8 million school-aged refugee children are currently denied access to formal education. The figure means that the future prosperity and wellbeing of more than seven million children are at risk - and with it the health of the societies where they live.

The total number of school-aged refugees has soared from 10 million in 2021 to 14.8 million today. This increase has been fuelled by Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine - while other conflicts including the Syrian Civil War continue. Increasing numbers of children are currently denied access to formal education - and the need for innovative solutions to meet their learning requirements is acute.

Addressing Urgent Needs

Can’t Wait to Learn - our digital education programme for children affected by conflict - is designed to address this need. The programme sees children learn through playing educational games on tablet devices. All learning content is based on each country’s national curriculum and the hardware allows lessons to be delivered even where resources and infrastructure are scarce.

Can’t Wait to Learn has reached some 100,000 children since its inception in 2012 and is currently active in six countries - including Jordan.

Strengthening Jordan’s Education Structure

In cooperation with Jordan's Ministry of Education, Can't Wait to Learn works to support children from both host and refugee communities. In Azraq City, to the east of the Kingdom, the programme is active in both urban centres and tented communities - targeting Syrian refugees and children from rural areas who have dropped out because there is no transport to take them to school.

The programme provides robust support to children developing their literacy skills, as local facilitator Aseel explains. “Each child develops the ability to comprehend reading after they have been absent from learning for some time,” she says. “Many children have never attended school, meaning they know nothing about reading, so we start with letters and sounds - and the tablet is very useful for this.”

Ali’s thirst for learning

Ali’s story is a typical one of the children taking part in the programme. Ali escaped Syria when he was just two years old, finding sanctuary in Jordan. He would frequently run away from school but now, at age 12, he has found a new appetite for learning. “[The programme] is fun,” he says. “It’s like a challenge but it also teaches you at the same time.”

The graphics and activities that make up Can’t Wait to Learn are specifically designed - frequently in collaboration with the children themselves - to reflect the environment of each participant.

Evidence strongly suggests this boosts engagement - and ultimately learning outcomes. Ali explains: “The graphics are very beautiful. The environment of the game is like the one I live in - the drawings of the places and the people look the same.”

“The programme is for everyone, big or small, to enjoy.

Can’t Wait to Learn is implemented in Jordan in close collaboration with local partners. In Azraq our activities are delivered via Aloun - a women-led community-based organisation offering vital education and assistance to refugee and host communities.