CAIRO — Some Syrian students living in Egypt attend special classes to help them meet the particular challenges they face as refugees in Egyptian schools. The first school for Syrians was inaugurated at the end of 2015 in 6th of October City, a suburb of Cairo where Syrians abound.

These schools do not entirely replace Egyptian schools, but operate in parallel, teaching the same curriculum to Syrian students in the Syrian dialect of Arabic and tailor lessons to remedial needs. These institutions, some called schools and others are known as learning centers, serve all levels from kindergarten to high school. Some of them charge a nominal fee while others are free of charge. There are no statistics available on their number in Egypt, but according to some estimates, there are 12 such schools in 6th of October City alone. These schools employ many Syrians as instructors and other staff.

Director of the Syrian al-Mehwar School in 6th of October City Samer Tohme told Al-Monitor, “The large number of students in Egyptian schools and the crowded classes have made it difficult for Syrian pupils to understand the educational material. Some Syrian students also find it hard to blend in with their Egyptian peers due to the different culture and traditions.”

He added, “Syrian students enroll normally in Egyptian schools, but they also attend classes at the Syrian schools. At the end of the school term, they take exams at the Egyptian school where they enrolled to get their certificate.”