Survey on the impact of our classes in Lebanon
The school year 2024/25 was marked by a historic turning point: the liberation of Syria from the Assad regime in December 2024. For many Syrian families living in exile, this event reopened the possibility of returning home after more than a decade of forced displacement. Yet while hope has grown, the reality remains difficult. Thousands of families continue to face severe economic obstacles that prevent them from rebuilding their lives in Syria and continue to rely on educational and humanitarian support in Lebanon. We will not let them down.
Throughout this period of uncertainty, R&R’s learning centres in the Akkar region of Lebanon remained open and active. In the school year 2024/25, we could provide daily education to more than 500 students. Our educational work, uninterrupted since 2013, continued to provide stability for children whose futures were profoundly affected by regional events. Like every year, we conducted an evaluation survey of all our Syrian students and a comparable sample of children not enrolled in our classes. The results are outstanding, both in terms of school enrolment and in terms of academic success in public schools. But the results also show that the pressure on Syrian children is higher today than it has been over previous years.
Please read more below and download the entire survey with data from 703 children collected by our youth leaders under supervision of our volunteer staff members in Akkar. This data is relevant also for political decisions.
Throughout this period of uncertainty, R&R’s learning centres in the Akkar region of Lebanon remained open and active. In the school year 2024/25, we could provide daily education to more than 500 students. Our educational work, uninterrupted since 2013, continued to provide stability for children whose futures were profoundly affected by regional events. Like every year, we conducted an evaluation survey of all our Syrian students and a comparable sample of children not enrolled in our classes. The results are outstanding, both in terms of school enrolment and in terms of academic success in public schools. But the results also show that the pressure on Syrian children is higher today than it has been over previous years.
Please read more below and download the entire survey with data from 703 children collected by our youth leaders under supervision of our volunteer staff members in Akkar. This data is relevant also for political decisions.
Outstanding results in the school year 2024/25
The results of our survey demonstrate the impact that sustained educational support can have, even during times of major upheaval. According to the 2025 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR), conducted by the UN, school enrolment among Syrian children aged 6 to 11 declined nationally from 57% in 2024 to only 50% in 2025. This sharp decrease reflects, amongst other things, the lack of funding for the Lebanese Ministry of Education. Within R&R’s historical operational area, however, enrolment remained remarkably stable. Among Syrian children aged 6 to 11, 85% were enrolled in school in 2025, compared with 84% the previous year. These figures are significantly higher than the national average and demonstrate the important role R&R continues to play in helping children remain connected to education despite exceptional circumstances.
Our support also contributed to strong academic outcomes. Across our operational area, 93.5% of students successfully progressed to the next grade during the 2024/25 school year. Among public-school students attending R&R classes, the success rate reached 93.46%, even though many of our students continue to live in highly vulnerable socio-economic conditions. These results confirm that educational support classes, homework assistance, and long-term engagement with families continue to improve learning outcomes for both Syrian and Lebanese children. In Akkar, the most marginalised and poorest of all Lebanese regions, our support was essential both for Syrian refugee and vulnerable Lebanese students.
None of this would have been possible without our local teachers, who often accepted to wait for their salaries when donations were low, without our international volunteers at the R&R Peace Centre who supported the classes and brought many innovations, and without the hundreds of R&R members and friends who have sustained our work through countless small donations over the years. Their generosity has enabled us to maintain a continuous educational presence in Akkar for more than a decade, even as many short-term projects implemented by other organisations with big public grants have come to an end. We believe education is a marathon, not a sprint.
Our support also contributed to strong academic outcomes. Across our operational area, 93.5% of students successfully progressed to the next grade during the 2024/25 school year. Among public-school students attending R&R classes, the success rate reached 93.46%, even though many of our students continue to live in highly vulnerable socio-economic conditions. These results confirm that educational support classes, homework assistance, and long-term engagement with families continue to improve learning outcomes for both Syrian and Lebanese children. In Akkar, the most marginalised and poorest of all Lebanese regions, our support was essential both for Syrian refugee and vulnerable Lebanese students.
None of this would have been possible without our local teachers, who often accepted to wait for their salaries when donations were low, without our international volunteers at the R&R Peace Centre who supported the classes and brought many innovations, and without the hundreds of R&R members and friends who have sustained our work through countless small donations over the years. Their generosity has enabled us to maintain a continuous educational presence in Akkar for more than a decade, even as many short-term projects implemented by other organisations with big public grants have come to an end. We believe education is a marathon, not a sprint.
The needs are changing, but they remain urgent
The question facing many Syrian families is no longer whether they wish to return home, but whether they can afford to do so. Our latest survey found that nearly 65% of Syrian families in our operational area intend to return to Syria within the coming year. However, the destruction of homes, the absence of basic infrastructure, and the cost of rebuilding their lives remain major obstacles. Many families are therefore caught between two difficult realities: remaining in precarious conditions in Lebanon or attempting to return to a place where more than 85% of houses are destroyed.
For this reason, R&R will continue supporting children in Akkar while progressively expanding its efforts to accompany returnee families and their communities in Syria. At the same time, we are adapting to changing needs inside Lebanon. The reopening of our school support classes in Rahbe and the opening of a new Peace Centre in Qantara allow us to reach new Syrian and Lebanese communities and continue building bridges between children from different backgrounds. We also try to integrate internally displaced students from South Lebanon into our classes. With the sharp drop of institutional funding for Lebanon, following the closure of USAID and the start of the new war in the South, the needs are today bigger than ever.
For this reason, R&R will continue supporting children in Akkar while progressively expanding its efforts to accompany returnee families and their communities in Syria. At the same time, we are adapting to changing needs inside Lebanon. The reopening of our school support classes in Rahbe and the opening of a new Peace Centre in Qantara allow us to reach new Syrian and Lebanese communities and continue building bridges between children from different backgrounds. We also try to integrate internally displaced students from South Lebanon into our classes. With the sharp drop of institutional funding for Lebanon, following the closure of USAID and the start of the new war in the South, the needs are today bigger than ever.
Thank you for your generous help
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Catholic Diocese of Münster in Germany, whose generous support has made it possible to fund the majority of our teachers in the school year 2025/26. Their commitment has provided essential stability at a critical moment of transition. Yet significant needs remain. Upon the request of families in Qantara, the village of our new Peace Centre, we have opened classes for students with special needs and engaged a qualified child psychologist to accompany them. Also the extension of bus transportation for students require additional resources amongst many other things.
As R&R enters a new chapter of its mission, the support by our members and donors remains essential. All the achievements of the past would not have been possible without dedication of our local teachers, who often agreed to wait for their salary when donations were low, and without the help of our members and friends. We deliberately rely on the commitment of individual donors who share our belief that education is a long-term investment in peace and human dignity. Thanks to your support, thousands of children have remained connected to education throughout years of crisis, and many have gone on to pursue higher education and new opportunities.
Please stay connected and please support our work today with a generous donation, whether through a small monthly contribution or a larger gift! The children we serve and our Lebanese and Syrian teachers will be grateful.
As R&R enters a new chapter of its mission, the support by our members and donors remains essential. All the achievements of the past would not have been possible without dedication of our local teachers, who often agreed to wait for their salary when donations were low, and without the help of our members and friends. We deliberately rely on the commitment of individual donors who share our belief that education is a long-term investment in peace and human dignity. Thanks to your support, thousands of children have remained connected to education throughout years of crisis, and many have gone on to pursue higher education and new opportunities.
Please stay connected and please support our work today with a generous donation, whether through a small monthly contribution or a larger gift! The children we serve and our Lebanese and Syrian teachers will be grateful.
RSS Feed
