Examination of education policies for refugees in Turkey in the context of international relations: Issues and recommendations

Turkiye occupies a leading position in terms of global migrant populations, largely due to the influx of over 3.5 million Syrian refugees precipitated by the civil conflict that commenced in 2011. According to the reports published by the educational authorities, the number of students at compulsory education age has reached more than 1 million. These students are scattered around Türkiye at varying school levels including kindergarten, primary and secondary schools. The inclusion of these groups of students into the education system is steadily increasing every year. Depending on the belief that education plays a critical role in the integration and lives of the students, this research firstly aimed at evaluating the educational policies developed for the refugees within the context of international relations and international relation theories, in addition it aims at examining the specific education policies developed for Syrian students at compulsory education age, the impacts of these policies on the general educational practices and issues faced by the stakeholders in the process. The study identified the conditions of including Syrian students into the Turkish education system, the challenges faced by Syrian students and teachers studying with them. Apart from the challenges, within the light of academic studies and institutional reports published, the study proposed potential solutions for policy makers and practitioners. The suggestions include providing a long-term induction process for students, in-service training opportunities for teachers and institutional cooperative practices among schools, related authorities and non-governmental organizations.