Back to Contents The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs reported about the increasing needs in Lebanon in April 2022: “Based on the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) conducted by the REACH Initiative in December 2021, OCHA reported in 2022 that: “Around 81 percent of PRL [Palestinian refugees in Lebanon] children were reportedly enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year. Among them, 3.8 percent reported that engagement in labour outside or in the home has consistently disrupted their learning. Additionally, almost 10 percent of PRL households with individuals being enrolled reported changing schools on account of affordability (e.g. shifted from private to public or UNRWA-schools) to adapt to new or increased barriers to accessing education during the 2020-2021 school year. [Footnote 178 on page 35] Among PRL, the number of enrolled children is around 34,000, 18,000 girls and 16,000 boys, all considered particularly vulnerable Overall, almost 4 percent of PRL children out of those enrolled dropped out of school during the 2020-2021 school year. The main drivers for school drop-out are very similar to the ones reported by Lebanese parents and include COVID-19-related school closures at 37.7 percent and inability to afford the education related costs (including tuition fees, learning materials and transportation), lack of interest / priority from parents and child working to support family, all at 25 percent.” (Source: OCHA, “Increasing Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon, April 2022”, 14 April 2022, p. 27) UNRWA describes its educational services to eligible individuals as follows: “ C. Education Services 1. School education UNRWA provides elementary and preparatory education services (ages 6-15) in all Fields and secondary education in the Lebanon Field only (ages 16-18). The Education Technical Instruction for Admission to UNRWA Schools (ETI No 1/2005) addresses conditions, cases and exceptions in respect of admission to UNRWA schools. UNRWA’s Education services are available to all categories of persons specified in section III of these Instructions. 2. Vocational education Technical and vocational education and training are provided through eight vocational training centres (three in the West Bank, one in the Gaza Strip, one in Lebanon, two in Jordan and one in the Syrian Arab Republic) to enable students become productive citizens and contributors to the well being of their communities. Two kinds of vocational services are provided by the centres: trade and technical. - Admission to the vocational (trade) courses requires successful completion of the basic education cycle (9 or 10 years of schooling, depending on the system applied in the host country). The trade courses offered include automotive engineering, building and woodwork, climatization and sanitation, electrical power, electronics, metal fabrication and machining, and traditional women’s crafts. - Admission to the technical courses requires successful completion of 12 years of schooling; courses offered cover specializations in the fields of architecture and art, commerce, computer technology, electronic engineering, home management, paramedical services, surveying and civil engineering. - Admission to training centres is further covered by the Education Technical Instructions (ETI No. 13/2001). Due to the limited number of places available in each course in each Field, Field Offices issue further instructions on a yearly basis to cover the admission for each course. [...] 3.2 Teacher training Given the shortage in Lebanon of University graduates who can become teachers UNRWA provides two-year teacher training services only in that Field. Students admitted to this programme should have a general secondary school certificate. Admission is further covered by the Education Technical Instructions (ETI No. 5/1998). 4. Placement and career guidance UNRWA established a Placement and Career Guidance Office (PCGO) to assist graduates from all the Agency’s training centres and educational institutions to secure suitable jobs in the local and regional labour market. The function of the PCGO includes career guidance and counselling services for students at schools” (Source: UNRWA, “Consolidated Eligibility and Registration Instructions”, 1 January 2009, pp. 23-25) 8. Access to education for children 79