Leap into future: Qatar begins construction on mega gas field expansion

Leap into future: Qatar begins construction on mega gas field expansion

Rising poverty forces Syrian parents to choose between children’s schooling and survival

LONDON: Syria’s dire economic situation has forced students from impoverished backgrounds to miss school this year, as families cut back on expenses and try to shore up household incomes by sending their children to work.

Schools in government-held areas of Syria reopened in September after the summer break, welcoming back an estimated 3.7 million children, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. However, many others did not show up.

Among those marked as absent were young people who have had no other choice but to become laborers to earn money and help their families make ends meet as they grapple with a devastating and unprecedented economic crisis.

In an attempt to prevent children being deprived of their right to education, and ensure they are not forced into exploitative child labor, civil society groups have established projects designed to help vulnerable students continue their studies.

For example, Mart Team, a charity in Damascus, has launched a campaign called “Aqlamouna Amalouna” — which translates as “Hope in our pens” — to support struggling primary school students.

In an attempt to prevent children from being deprived of their right to education, civil society groups have established