EU envoy praises Turkey's success in educating Syrian refugee children

GAZIANTEP, Turkey

The Turkish state and public are scoring great successes in the education of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugee children, said the top EU diplomat in Turkey on Tuesday.

Speaking at a school opening ceremony in the southern Gaziantep province, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut said: "The fact that up to 700,000 Syrian kids are integrated into the Turkish education system is a huge and unique success story."

Meyer-Landrut, head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, added that the EU can only help as part of its support programs, but that this success belongs to Turkey.

Landrut also said that the EU has financed over 400 schools across Turkey as well as the operational costs, training, and employment of teachers.

Thanking the Turkish government and particularly the National Education Ministry for their cooperation, Landrut wished success to all the students and teachers.

Gaziantep Governor Davut Gul also stated that they decided to open a school every week from the beginning of the term, adding that a total of 41 schools have been completed this year.

He added that the construction of 54 schools is continuing, with many expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

Umut Gur, the ministry’s official in charge of construction, stated that 1.2 million of the Syrians under temporary protection living in Turkey are of school age.

Turkey hosts nearly 4 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world.

Gur said that while the population of refugees of preschool age is around 127,000, there are 442,000 students of primary school age, 348,000 of secondary school age, and 278,000 students in secondary education under temporary protection.

Also present at the ceremony were Yasin Tepe, Turkey’s provincial education director, Klaus Muller, Southeastern Europe, and Turkey director of the German-owned KfW development bank, as well as students and parents.