A new school year, despite the challenges

In Lebanon, MERATH-supported education centers are welcoming children back to school while navigating displacement, rising costs and the lingering effects of recent conflicts.

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Ready for a new academic year

At one of MERATH’s education centers in Lebanon, located in the Beqaa Valley, students stepped off the buses, excited to have arrived for another day of school. It was only their second day of the new school year. With their backpacks on, they lined up by grade level before heading to their classrooms with their peers and teachers. 

The center operates two shifts each day because of limited space. This year, enrollment has increased compared with previous years, with 180 students from Syrian refugee families attending the center and additional children on the waiting list. While around 10 families have left the center since last year, either returning to Syria or relocating elsewhere in Lebanon, new students have joined. Milad Haddad, pastor of the local partner church that runs the center, shared with us: 

“The students are really excited. They returned with an extra burst of energy. We spent the first day helping them calm down and get settled, then divided them into their classrooms.” 

Last year, the start of the school year looked very different for the center. The war had already begun when classes opened. The school year started late, and there were days when students and teachers could hear bombing or the surveillance drone overhead. 

“This year things are going well so far. But the biggest challenge is keeping the center open without having to close it, because here in the Beqaa, we’re vulnerable to shelling when the situation escalates.” Pastor Milad says.

The church has been running the education center for nearly a decade. The idea began when church members visited nearby refugee camps and saw children spending their days outside, playing in the dirt. Some were barefoot and exposed to the cold. Today, children from different age groups attend the center, divided into classes according to their academic level. They study Arabic, English, mathematics and science. 

Much more than just academics 

But the pastor sees the purpose of the school as going beyond academic learning, as the way the children are taught and treated in the center brings about the best in them: 

“They’re learning ethics and good manners, their personalities are changing, and their parents are noticing a huge difference.We love them, we teach them, and we respect them. Here, every child feels that he is a human being with dignity, and the kids have been wonderful.”  

The same emphasis on care extends to the children’s emotional well-being. Alongside their academic lessons, students take part in social and emotional learning sessions and have access to a full-time psychologist. 

Over time, Nidale, the center’s psychologist, has seen students become more comfortable talking to her and trusting her. Nidale also works alongside teachers to better understand students’ behavior and respond to their concerns, while supporting and encouraging them as they navigate the challenges of the school year. She also holds awareness sessions for parents, helping them support their children.

“We’re seeing great results. Especially, the students are finding a space to express themselves, and when they’re upset, they can talk about it. When the parents and I collaborate, we see the difference in the child, whether in his behavior, his school performance, or his well-being. We start to see his smile again, and that’s something wonderful,” Nidale says.

A wider education effort in a country still in crisis

This project is part of a wider education effort. MERATH currently supports six education centers across Lebanon, serving Syrian refugee and vulnerable Lebanese children through local partners. The other five projects work in similar ways, combining education with other ways of caring for children and their families. 

The need for that support comes after years of disruption to Lebanon’s education system. The economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and years of conflict have made it difficult for children to maintain a steady education. Since fighting between Hezbollah and Israel escalated in October 2023, families have faced repeated displacement and interruptions to their daily lives. During the escalation in late 2024, an estimated one million people were internally displaced. In March 2026, renewed hostilities displaced more than 1.1 million people, including more than 390,000 children, with many families forced to leave their homes for the second, third or even fourth time. Schools have also been affected, with 340 schools damaged or destroyed, while others have been closed or used as shelters, further interrupting children’s learning. 

For children, each disruption can mean time away from school and another break in the routines that help them learn. 

As the 2026–2027 school year begins, UNICEF warned that at least 100,000 Lebanese students could be unable to attend school if schools damaged during the war were not urgently rehabilitated before the start of the academic year. At the same time, the 2026 Lebanon Response Plan estimates that around 60 percent of displaced Syrian children in Lebanon will remain out of school, with only around 10 percent expected to benefit from non-formal education.

The need for holistic support 

For vulnerable families in Lebanon, however, access to education is only part of the challenge. Rising costs are putting additional pressure on households already struggling to meet their basic needs. Pastor Milad shared:

“The fuel prices have exploded. Food prices are rising too. Meat, chicken, everything is getting more expensive. There’s definitely a major crisis. If we do not support families of children enrolled at the center, they might have to send their kids to work, and we don’t want that to happen.” 

Last year, the church tried its best to support families throughout the year. Milad says this helped all the students remain at the center until the end of the school year. 

For the church, the education center is another way to remain close to the community and walk alongside families through difficult and uncertain times, caring for the children’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. As another year begins, the church continues to serve the children, entrusting them and everything else in God’s hands.