Madhu Singh in collaboration with Hegazi Idris and Maysoun Chehab Pathways to emPowerment Recognizing the competences of Syrian refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization Pathways to emPowerment recognizing the competences of syrian refugees in egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and turkey madhu singh in collaboration with hegazi Idris and maysoun Chehab Education Sector UUnniitteedd NNaattiioonnss EEdduuccaattioionnaall,, SScciieennttiififi cc aanndd CCuultltuurraall OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonn PubLIshed In 2018 by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, Hamburg © UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) undertakes research, capacity-building, networking and publication on lifelong learning with a focus on adult and continuing education, literacy and non-formal basic education. 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The present licence applies exclu- sively to the text content of the publication. desIgn and Layout: Teresa Boese Contents Foreword 5 abbrevIatIons 8 aCKnowLedgements 11 exeCutIve summary 13 seCtIon a – the soCIo-eConomIC Context oF Current non-FormaL LearnIng For syrIan reFugees 25 1 ConCePtuaL baCKground, ratIonaLe and methodoLogy 27 1.1 Respecting the right to education for refugees 27 1.2 Why recognizing the non-formal learning and competences of Syrian refugees matters 30 1.3 Context and objectives of the study 32 1.4 Recognizing refugees’ non-formal learning: A stimulus for reform in the host countries 34 1.5 Key concepts and definitions: Clarifying recognition processes 36 1.6 Ensuring effective recognition processes that foster benefits for refugee youth and young adults 46 1.7 Placing the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning on an equal footing with those of formal learning 50 1.8 Creating awareness, consensus and acceptance of the value of non-formal learning 53 1.9 Methodology and sources of the study 56 2 FormaL and non-FormaL LearnIng oF syrIan reFugees: soCIo-CuLturaL reaLItIes 59 2.1 The refugee crisis and its impact on education 59 2.2 Non-formal learning programmes in host countries 62 2.3 Role of the state in regulating curriculum, language of instruction, and examination 68 2.4 Challenges faced by Syrian refugees in formal and non-formal learning settings 73 2.5 Conclusions and lessons learned 83 3 what needs to be done: estabLIshIng FLexIbLe ProgressIon Pathways 87 3.1 Pathways to post-primary education and TVET 90 3.2 Post-secondary pathways to tertiary education and the recognition of higher education qualifications 94 3.3 Skills development pathways 97 3.4 Life skills and social and cultural development programmes 98 3.5 Recognizing the learning achievements of youth and adults in the context of volunteer work 100 3.6 Conclusions and lessons learned 101 seCtIon b – estabLIshIng a natIonaL strategy to Create synergIes between FormaL, non-FormaL and InFormaL LearnIng 105 4 PoLICIes, standards and FrameworKs 107 4.1 Why is a lifelong learning strategy important for Syrian refugees? 108 4.2 Standardizing non-formal learning and education 110 4.3 Linking recognition with national qualifications frameworks 111 4.4 Non-formal learning standardized/made equivalent to a curriculum based on learning outcomes 120 4.5 Competence assessment in enterprises and work-oriented training 124 4.6 Conclusions and lessons learned 125 5 ProCedures and ProCesses 129 5.1 Formative and summative assessment 130 5.2 Formalized and less formalized methods of assessment 133 5.3 Ensuring the quality of non-formal learning programmes 137 5.4 Conclusions and lessons learned 138 6 staFF worKIng In non-FormaL LearnIng and the reCognItIon oF ComPetenCes 143 6.1 Teachers addressing learning needs in formal and non-formal learning 144 6.2 Advisors and facilitators 146 6.3 Coordinators and managers of regional service centres 148 6.4 Assessors: Quality and training 148 6.5 Training providers in non-formal learning and vocational and technical skills centres 149 6.6 Community practitioners in non-accredited out-of-school skills programmes 150 6.7 Professionalizing staff working in non-formal learning and the recognition of competences 151 6.8 Conclusions and lessons learned 152 seCtIon C – ConCLusIons, reCommendatIons and aCtIons 157 7 ConCLusIons and PoLICy reCommendatIons 159 8 ImmedIate aCtIons to be taKen wIth the suPPort oF aLL aCtors 165 reFerenCes 169 Foreword The recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of non-formal and informal learning outcomes is not a privilege or a luxury. For refugees of the Syria crisis, it can be a transformative, life-changing mechanism. It provides them with an alternative route to a qualification, fosters a commitment to lifelong learning, and can help individuals to enter the labour market or get a better job. Crucially, too, it gives refugees an opportunity to participate in their host society, helping promote social inclusion and build more sustainable, cohesive communities. This pub- lication is intended to provide insight and guidance to policy-makers who wish to make a difference in these areas, and offer Syrian refugees genuine ‘pathways to empowerment’. This publication is the result of close collaboration between the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), in Hamburg, Germany, and the UNESCO Beirut Office and Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States. The idea of studying and analysing the best cur- rent international practice emerged from an international meeting of experts – Towards a policy framework for securing the recognition, reg- ularization and certification of non-formal education: Creating syner- gies between formal and non-formal settings in the Arab region – held in Beirut in January 2016. Since then, the issue has risen further up the policy agenda, as the effects of this protracted conflict continue to be felt far beyond Syria’s borders. This publication maps and analyses how the non-formal and infor- mal learning and competences of Syrian refugee youth and young adults living in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey can be recognized, validated and accredited. The aim is to provide national and sectoral stakeholders in these countries with critical guidance in establishing national policies and building robust recognition mechanisms to ensure that refugees who have dropped out of school, interrupted their educa- tion, or lost their qualification documents, are able to enter or re-enter education and training or integrate into the world of work. While policy-makers in the region have prioritized the issue of recog- nizing and validating non-formal learning, it remains a major challenge to develop systems that do this effectively. The aim of this publication, 5 FOREWORD therefore, is to lay some of the essential groundwork for setting up such a recognition system, enhancing understanding of RVA mechanisms to provide a basis for concrete solutions that can be implemented by national and sectoral stakeholders. UNESCO has been actively involved in developing and promot- ing RVA mechanisms since 2005. It understands that the creation of procedures for the recognition of non-formal and informal learning is one of the key strategies to make visible and give value to the hidden competences that individuals have attained in various settings, and to promote lifelong learning. In 2012, the UNESCO Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning (UIL, 2012) were published. They made a clear case for RVA of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning as ‘a key lever in making lifelong learning a reality’. UNESCO’s strategic objectives and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets echo this vision by calling for programmes for young people and adults that are of high quality and inclusive, and feature effective learning pathways leading to a qualification, including pathways based on recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning. The recommendations presented in this publication highlight the importance of comprehensive national strategies – rather than frag- mented and ad hoc projects – for creating synergies between formal, non-formal and informal learning at all levels of the education and training system and across all sectors. The report argues that recogni- tion of the non-formal learning outcomes and competences of Syrian refugees cannot be the sole responsibility of education and training authorities. It must involve a broad group of stakeholders, including employers, trade unions, industry, and education and training institu- tions, as well as civil society organizations. It also contends that the establishment of a recognition system for Syrian refugees should be seen not as a stand-alone measure, but as part of the host countries’ ongoing education and training reforms and qualifications framework developments. Recognition gives everybody the possibility to have their learning and competences made visible and accepted within agreed- upon assessment standards. In this way, the establishment of recogni- tion systems promotes more socially inclusive and cohesive societies and fosters peace. 6 FOREWORD These recommendations are intended to contribute to dialogue between national authorities and social partners at national and regional levels, and to guide policy actions and RVA practices adapted to the challenges facing countries in the region. Many of the lessons of this study have relevance to countries in other parts of the world, where the recognition of refugees’ learning outcomes is also a critical issue. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a comprehensive framework to develop and promote policy responses conducive to life- long learning for all. This publication demonstrates the value of RVA as a powerful mechanism for opening up pathways to further education, learning, recognition and, ultimately, empowerment for some of the most vulnerable, marginalized and disadvantaged p eople in today’s world. David Atchoarena Director, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning April 2018 7 abbrevIatIons aFad Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey aLP Alternative learning pathways CaQa Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (Jordan) CedeFoP European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training Cohe Council of Higher Education (Turkey) Cvet Continuing vocational education and training dgmm Directorate General of Migration Management (Ministry of Interior, Turkey) eCCe Early childhood care and education eswg Education Sector Working Group (Turkey) etF European Training Foundation eu European Union ICt Information and communications technology IdmC Internal Displacement Management Centre (Turkey) IdP Internally displaced person IFrC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies ILo International Labour Organization Inee Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies Iom International Organization for Migration IPa The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (Turkey) Ivet Initial vocational education and training JrP Jordan Response Plan JrPsC Jordan Response Platform for the Syrian Crisis Krg Kurdistan Regional Government KrI Kurdistan Region of Iraq LnQF Lebanese National Qualifications Framework mehe Ministry of Education and Higher Education (Lebanon) mena Middle East and North Africa moe Ministry of education mone Ministry of National Education (Turkey) mooC Massive open online course moPIC Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (Jordan) naQaae National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (Egypt) 8 nFe Non-formal education ngo Non-governmental organization nos National Occupational Standards (Turkey) nQF National qualifications framework nrC Norwegian Refugee Council odI Overseas Development Institute oeCd Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development raCe Reaching All Children with Education (Lebanon) rPL Recognition of prior learning rva Recognition, validation and accreditation sdgs Sustainable Development Goals teC Temporary education centre (Turkey) tQF Turkish Qualifications Framework tvet Technical and vocational education and training tvQF Technical and Vocational Qualifications Framework udhr Universal Declaration of Human Rights uIL UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning un United Nations unCsr United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees undP United Nations Development Programme unesCo United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization unFPa United Nations Population Fund unhCr United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees unICeF United Nations Children’s Fund unoCha United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs unrwa United Nations Relief and Works Agency usaId United States Agency for International Development vet Vocational education and training vQa Vocational Qualifications Authority (Turkey) vtC Vocational Training Corporation (Jordan) wbL Work-based learning yeP Youth Education Pack yFJ European Youth Forum yÖbIs Educational Management Information System (Turkey) ytb Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities 9