Towards Early Childhood Education by 2030 for All Children in Lebanon - Exploring Strategies for Achieving Equitable ECE Access for Both Lebanese Children and Syrian Child Refugees and Realising Sustainable Development Goal 4.2

Since 2011 Lebanon has been hosting approximately 1.5 million refugees from the Syrian conflict, about half of whom are children. As part of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s 2015 Reaching All Children with Education Plan, children aged 3 to 18 are offered free education. This project explores the extent to which the early childhood education (ECE) system offers equal learning opportunities to 3 to 5-year-old Lebanese and Syrian refugee children of different ages, genders and abilities across three regions: Beqaa, Akkar and Tripoli in the north and Saida and Tyre in the south. The project is also looking to evaluate the role of governmental and non-governmental organisations in achieving an equitable ECE system and develop strategies and policy recommendations to enhance ECE access and maximise the chances of Lebanon achieving Sustainable Development Goal target 4.2 by 2030.

Research Team: Professor Eva Lloyd, University of East London; Dr Katharine Wright, University of East London; Dr Hiam Loutfi El Zein, Rafik Hariri University