Ali (12) Is Grasping His Chance to Learn
Photo: Michael Jessurun ©
An entire generation of children and youth have grown up knowing nothing but violence and displacement because of Syria’s 12-year civil war. The prolonged crisis has had a profound impact on Syrian children - forcing them from their homes and schools and leaving them with profound emotional burdens.
Twelve-year-old Ali’s story is a typical one among Syrian refugee children. Ali was forced to escape Syria with his family when he was just two years old. “We were always on the move,” he recalls.
“We arrived in Jordan and lived for more than two years in Al Jafr, two thousand miles from our home. We lived in another place for a year before we arrived here [Azraq City] six years ago.”
Classroom challenges
Life on the move left Ali feeling continually restless and impatient - and he would frequently run away from the informal refugee school he attended. “I always felt like my schoolwork was useless,” he explains. “So I would run away from school. My father knew - and was furious …”
War Child works with refugee children in Jordan to help them prepare for entry into primary school and further education - providing psychosocial support to aid their resilience and concentration. Ali credits his participation in these activities with helping him adapt to the demands of the classroom. “It helped me psychologically,” he explains.
“Our facilitator helped me understand letters and I realised that the lessons weren’t so hard. Now I learn by picking up a book and reading short stories. The stories benefit me and are fun to research.”
Learning through play
Ali also learns through our coalition EdTech programme Can’t Wait to Learn. The programme sees children access quality education through playing learning games on tablet computers. Each learning module is linked to Jordan’s national curriculum - and the syllabus is designed to boost both literacy and numeracy outcomes.
Can’t Wait to Learn has further boosted Ali’s 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 are very beautiful. The programme is for everyone, big or small, to enjoy."
Looking to the future
Ali says that his Can’t Wait to Learn lessons have enabled him to make new friends and enjoy increased peace of mind. “The important thing is that I started to find out what to do in order to meet people,” he says. “I now enjoy learning.”
