An examination of educational policies of Turkey for Syrian children: Determinations, problems and suggestions

Turkey is at the first place in the current global migrant stock because of the Syrian refugees, more than 3.5 million, fleeing Syria because of civil war started in 2011. When the demographic features of Syrian population in Turkey are examined, it draws attention on that 1 million Syrian children are at the age of compulsory education and half million Syrians have potential to demand education in few years. This study was composed with the idea that education is the most effective tool to minimize the destructive effects of the war and to enable the children to build their own futures. In the study, the educational services provided by the Turkish government for Syrian refugee children and the amendments made in these services during the process were examined; the problems encountered in the educational services were determined and suggestions were made for solving these problems and for adapting the current education system to a multicultural society.