ERICC: Syria
Transforming Education in Post-Conflict Syria
Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Building evidence for education transformation
The Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC) Syria research seeks to generate relevant, policy-oriented evidence to support the rebuilding and transformation of an equitable, high-quality education system in Syria. The research focuses on how education can respond to the inequalities, disruption and fragmentation created by prolonged conflict, while contributing to social solidarity, justice, inclusion and sustainable peace. The work aims to develop evidence-based options that national education actors, policymakers, donors and practitioners can use to strengthen education policy and practice in Syria. The research is designed to be context-specific, participatory and evidence-led.
About ERICC
The Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC) Research Programme Consortium is a global research and learning partnership that strives to transform education policy and practice in conflict and protracted crisis around the world, ultimately to help improve holistic outcomes for children, through building a global hub for a rigorous, context-relevant and actionable evidence base.
More about ERICC
ERICC seeks to identify the most effective approaches for improving access, quality, and continuity of education to support sustainable and coherent education systems and holistic learning and development of children in conflict and crisis.
ERICC aims to bridge research, practice, and policy with accessible and actionable knowledge at local, national, regional, and global levels through co-construction of research and collaborative partnerships.
Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC) was established to generate research to address critical evidence gaps on education in conflict and crisis settings. Over the past four years it has built a rigorous evidence base to strengthen evidence-based decision-making across research, policy and practice, ultimately to support children’s holistic learning outcomes.
The ERICC approach is rooted in co-constructed research and collaborative partnerships, from local to global levels, to generate accessible, actionable knowledge on what works to improve education access, quality and continuity, and why and for whom.
Education in a changing Syria
Syria's education system stands at a critical crossroads after years of conflict and major disruption. Sustained conflict has affected children's and young people's access to formal education, contributing to disrupted learning, unequal access, and reduced quality of learning across communities, alongside displacement-related barriers and pressures on teachers and education institutions. This research responds to the need for evidence that can help rebuild an education system grounded in inclusion, equity, justice, reconciliation, social cohesion, solidarity and sustainable peace.
How the Syria research agenda was developed
The research agenda was developed through a comprehensive review of existing evidence alongside participatory engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders across Syria. This process identified critical gaps in evidence on the key determinants of education outcomes, including access, quality, continuity and coherence. It also produced one of the first systematic analyses of education data systems in conflict-affected Northwest Syria, helping to strengthen the evidence base for future policy development and educational planning. ERICC’s work in Syria initially focused on Northwest Syria; following the political transition in December 2024, the scope of the research was expanded to cover the country as a whole.
Five priority themes
The first two priority themes have been taken forward to shape the ERICC research undertaken in Syria.
- 01Context-related economic determinants of the education system and outcomesTaken forward
- 02The dynamics of education system governanceTaken forward
- 03Teachers’ capabilities and opportunities
- 04Designing context-relevant curricula and pedagogy
- 05Alternatives for upgrading infrastructure and resource allocation
Communication and influence
The ERICC research communication and influence strategy in Syria is grounded in a participatory approach that ensures continuous engagement with key stakeholders throughout the research process. The research team has worked closely with civil society organisations, parents, teachers, national and international NGOs, and education actors at the community level to gather perspectives, validate findings, and strengthen ownership of the research process and findings. This approach will continue in the final phase of the ERICC programme, concluding in 2027, including engagement with Syrian government stakeholders to facilitate dialogue and support the uptake of research findings and recommendations at policy and institutional levels. Key findings will be shared with wider audiences through social media content, webinars, podcasts and other knowledge-sharing products on the Osman Consulting digital platforms and partner networks.
Research in phases
The Syria research is organised into phases and studies addressing education systems, research gaps, inequalities, education governance, and education in post-conflict settings.
Read the research
Published papers link directly to their original source. Forthcoming papers and concept notes are shown separately and are not yet available to read.
Phase 1Research outputs and evidence base
- PublishedPublished June 2024
Data Systems Policy Brief: Creating Credible Education Data Spaces in Northwest Syria
This policy brief highlights key challenges around data systems in Northwest Syria, including fragmentation, inconsistency, and a lack of trust in existing data due to divided governance, limited capacity, and short-term humanitarian funding.
- PublishedPublished September 2024
Data Systems Working Paper: Education Data Systems in Northwest Syria
This report offers an in-depth analysis of education data systems in conflict-affected Northwest Syria. It investigates how data on access, quality, continuity, coherence, and outcomes are collected, processed, and used.
- PublishedPublished September 2024
Research Agenda Working Paper
This report provides background on the conflicts and crises in Northwest Syria and examines their effects on the education sector.
- PublishedPublished September 2024
Research Agenda Policy Brief
This policy brief highlights the education research agenda in Northwest Syria.
- PublishedPublished September 2024
Evidence Review: Evidence Gap and Literature Review Findings: Northwest Syria
This evidence review examines research-produced knowledge available on education systems in Northwest Syria and identifies gaps in research knowledge as part of the ERICC programme.
Phase 2Research outputs and evidence base
- Forthcoming
Working Paper: The Weaponisation of Education in the Syrian Conflict: Education as a Tool of Social Division
This working paper provides an analysis of how education contributed to social division through the weaponisation, politicisation, and ideologisation of education in Syria during the conflict and after the fall of the Assad regime, with a focus on the period from 2020 onwards.
- Forthcoming
Working Paper: Economic Determinants of Education in Syria
This working paper examines the economic determinants of education in Syria during and after the country’s fourteen-year conflict, with particular focus on the transition following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
- Forthcoming
Case Study: Education and the Solidarity Economy in Conflict-Affected Syria: Al-Tal and Hajin
This case study examines how community-led initiatives have sustained education through the principles and practices of the Social and Solidarity Economy in Al-Tal, Rural Damascus, and Hajin, Deir ez-Zor.
- Forthcoming
Case Study: Participatory Governance of Education in Syria
This study explores how grassroots initiatives, particularly the Local Development and Small Business Support Office (LDSPS) in Idleb, have advanced participatory mechanisms engaging parents, teachers, women, people with disabilities, and civil society actors in education planning and decision-making.
Phase 3Transforming education in post-conflict Syria
- Ongoing
Transforming Education in Post-Conflict Syria (Concept Note)
This study is grounded in the urgent need to address under-researched inequalities exacerbated by conflict and contribute to an education system that supports a just and peaceful future. The study is organised around three themes: • Theme 1: Horizontal inequalities in access and learning. • Theme 2: Alternatives for the “Lost Generation” through formal and non-formal learning. • Theme 3: Inclusive and participatory governance in education.
Education system preparedness against shocks
- Ongoing
Education System Preparedness Against Shocks
This study explores the intersection between environmental shocks, conflict, and education system preparedness.
Rebuilding education for peace with justice
- Ongoing
Rebuilding Education for Peace with Justice: Participatory Approach to Educational Reforms, Reconciliation and Social Transformation in Post-War Syria
This study examines coherence and alignment in current education system provisions in Syria. It aims to propose practical, equity-driven pathways for reform to align and rebuild the system from the ground up.
A participatory and evidence-led approach
The research uses a transdisciplinary, participatory and transformative research methodology that actively involves relevant local stakeholders throughout the process. Where appropriate, it draws on community workshops, participatory mapping, interviews, qualitative research, stakeholder engagement, secondary research, thematic analysis and evidence synthesis. The approach aims to produce knowledge that is credible, contextually grounded, relevant and actionable.
Rather than relying solely on externally developed models, the research seeks to generate evidence grounded in Syrian realities, community perspectives and the conditions affecting education across the country.
Equity, justice, inclusion and gender equality are treated as cross-cutting considerations throughout the research agenda.
Working with education actors and communities
The research engages with a wide range of education stakeholders to help ensure that the evidence it generates reflects Syrian realities and the perspectives of the people involved in and affected by education.
An integrated research framework
The research brings together education systems analysis, social justice, participation, peacebuilding and community perspectives, building on the ERICC conceptual framework for education in conflict settings. Education is viewed as an important social institution with the potential to contribute to rebuilding relationships and strengthening social cohesion, inclusion, solidarity and mutual understanding across Syria.
From evidence to action
The research is designed not only to generate academic knowledge, but also to produce evidence and recommendations that can inform education policy, education programming, recovery efforts, decision-making, donor priorities and practitioner approaches. It aims to support the uptake of evidence by relevant education stakeholders.
Syria
This research covers the geographic area of Syria. The study is designed around Syria as a whole. In line with the sensitivity of specific research and participant locations, this page does not show a detailed location map, field-site markers, or participant, researcher or recruitment locations.
ERICC countries in focus
- Bangladesh (Cox’s Bazar)
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Myanmar
- Nigeria
- South Sudan
- SyriaThis project
ERICC also carries out multi-country synthesis and meta-analyses on foundational learning and social-emotional learning; climate change and systems resilience; localisation and equal partnerships; and data and data systems.
Leading the research consortium in Syria
Osman Consulting leads the consortium's research work in Syria as part of the ERICC programme, contributing to research implementation, evidence generation, research and data collection, stakeholder engagement, research analysis, and the development of research products and policy and knowledge dissemination outputs. This work forms part of Osman Consulting's broader contribution to ERICC's Global Research Agenda, including work related to Pathways for Learning.
A multi-year ERICC research programme
Key milestones in the ERICC Syria research programme, from the evidence review and research agenda through to the final phase, which concludes in 2027.
The overall ERICC programme timeframe, within which Osman Consulting leads research work in Syria as part of the ERICC consortium.
Funding and acknowledgementThis research is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Advancing evidence for a stronger, more inclusive education system in Syria.
ERICC welcomes engagement with government, funders, practitioners, and researchers interested in applying this evidence towards strong and resilient education systems.