REACT initiative helps 151,668 Syrian refugee children attend school

AMMAN — Minister of Education Azmi Mahafzah on Thursday expressed his appreciation for the ongoing support from international donors to help the Jordanian government meet its commitment to providing equitable access to quality education for refugee children in Jordan.

Mahafzah visited the Prince Hassan Elementary School for Boys and Girls, which featured the presence of heads of international missions from Australia, Canada, the European Union mission, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The visit to the school, which supports Syrian refugee children, was intended to highlight the achievements of the Rapid Education Access Initiative (REACT).

The REACT initiative supported around 151,668 Syrian refugee children and some 3,790 refugee children of other nationalities this year through its various activities, with the primary goal of ensuring access to education for refugees and other marginalised groups in Jordan.

Through the initiative, 1,595 Jordanian children, 388 Syrian refugee children and 30 refugee children from other nationalities were supported, Mahafzah said, adding that the initiative also supported 60 schools that implemented pilot programmes for 2,013 children with disabilities and learning difficulties.

In addition to appointing integrated education staff, the initiative's efforts also provided educational materials and hearing, visual and mobility aids. The initiative also developed institutional examination and monitoring guidelines for the integration of children with disabilities. The initiative also trained the administrative and educational personnel of each school on concepts of integrated education.