Education of Syrian children under temporary protection in the context of equal opportunities: The case of Yalova

Turkey, as a result of the internal war that began in Syria in 2011, has taken in Syrian refugees and provided them with temporary protection, setting an example of exemplary humanitarian behavior in the international community. The Syrians under temporary protection are gradually transitioning from being temporary residents to becoming an integral part of Turkish society. In the current context, while debates on repatriation persist, we believe that efforts should continue to integrate them as harmonious members of society. Our study operates on the premise that education plays a vital role in transforming individuals into valuable members of society and holds great significance for the adaptation of Syrians under temporary protection. Syrian children who are included in the Turkish Education System will serve as catalysts for social integration if they remain in Turkey. If they return to their own country, they will contribute to the development of relations and peace between the two countries. The Republic of Turkey has implemented all the necessary legal regulations to include Syrian children in the educational environment. However, the facilitation of access to education by legislation does not necessarily guarantee equal opportunities in education. In our study, we seek to answer the question, "Does the Turkish Education System implement the necessary policies to ensure equal opportunities for Syrian students under temporary protection?" The aim of the study is to evaluate the opinions of Syrian parents under temporary protection whose children attend state schools in Yalova province, teachers who have at least one Syrian student under temporary protection in their classrooms, and school administrators regarding the provision of equal opportunities in education for Syrian students under temporary protection. The study also aims to propose solutions to the identified problems related to this issue. For this purpose, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 educators and 19 Syrian parents under temporary protection between September 17, 2022, and February 22, 2023. The data obtained from the research was coded and analyzed using the MAXQDA 2022 program. Themes related to the interviews were identified, and the findings were evaluated accordingly. As a result of the evaluation, the main problem hindering equal opportunities in education was found to be the insufficient Turkish language skills of Syrian students under temporary protection. Despite some participants having resided in Turkey for 11 years, the persistence of Turkish language deficiencies indicates a lack of a sufficient sense of belonging to Turkey. There is no existing study in the literature that evaluates the education of Syrian students under temporary protection in terms of equal opportunities. We believe that our study will address this gap and provide guidance for future research in this area.