Back to Contents The main education providers may differ depending on learner’s area of residence, as this UNRWA survey regarding Palestinian Refugees from Syria living in Lebanon pointed out: “PRS children heavily depend on UNRWA for their elementary and preparatory (primary) education, with 81.8 percent attending its primary schools instead of government schools (12.7 per cent) or private schools (5.5 per cent). […] While camp and non-camp dwellers share more or less the same educational profile, their main educational services provider varies significantly. Camp dwellers who live relatively close to UNRWA facilities are more dependent on the UNRWA education system. More specifically, 98.1 percent of PRS camp children (mostly in the 6-15 age group) attend UNRWA schools at elementary and preparatory levels compared to 69.2 percent of PRS non-camp children. Outside camps, 26.8 percent of PRS children are enrolled in government schools and 7.9 per cent private schools. UNRWA in Lebanon also provides secondary education (up to the baccalaureate) and remains the leading provider of services in that education cycle, providing education to 69 per cent of PRS secondary schools students, ahead of government (19.7 per cent) and private (11.3 per cent) schools.” (Source: UNRWA, “Socio-economic Survey on Palestine Refugees from Syria Living in Lebanon”, 28 April 2021, p. 33) Impact of economic hardship on school drop-out 8.2. Is the education of stateless Palestinian children and young people free? At what level of education? In a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council, submitted by BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, a nongovernmental organization in special consultative status wrote about the UNRWA schools: “Living Conditions for Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon These conditions are exacerbated by an underfunded United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that is constantly facing Israeli-led attacks and defamation campaigns aimed at delegitimizing and invalidating the Agency. As such, UNRWA is gradually becoming less able to provide adequate services to all Palestinian refugees. This is particularly so considering that most Palestinian refugees in Lebanon depend on UNRWA schools for education due to high schooling expenses elsewhere, as well as health care due to their inability to access the public health system in the country.” (Source: Badil Resource Center: “Written statement* submitted by BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, a nongovernmental organization in special consultative status”, 23 May 2022, p. 2) In a public letter to the UNHCR published by UNRWA in June 2021, the relief agency stated that: “UNRWA is aware that there has been additional pressure on public schools in Lebanon in 2020 due to students not being able to pay the fees for private schools. On 28 July 2020, the Minister of Education issued a circular (no. 339/M/2020) opening school enrolment for Lebanese students only, with a follow up circular on 23 October 2020 (no.490/M/2020) for the enrolment of students of other nationalities. According to information available to the Agency, in practice, most schools are making efforts to keep all students already enrolled, so the impact is mostly felt by new students.” (Source: UNRWA, “Letter from UNRWA to UNHCR in the case of NB and AB v. SSHD before the Court of Justice of the European Union (Case C-349/20).”, 21 June 2021, p. 8, footnote xxi) In the internationally recognised book they published in 2020, legal scholars Dr. Francesca Albanese [currently Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory] and Prof Lex Takkenberg wrote: “In the field of education, Palestinian refugees generally cannot access Lebanese schools and state-run universities, though there is no legal barrier. As a consequence, Lebanon is the only country where UNRWA operates secondary schools (grades 10–12). Most Palestinian refugees complete their elementary, primary, and secondary education in one of sixty-six UNRWA schools. Dropout rates are high as some children seek work in order to help their families. Palestinian refugee illiteracy in Lebanon remains high. Access to (p. 216) higher education is further limited for Palestinian refugees because many cannot afford tuition fees.” 8. Access to education for children 80