As part of UNICEF Innocenti's workshop on social protection in humanitarian settings, Jacob de Hoop from UNICEF Innocenti presented his working paper "No Lost Generation: Supporting the School Participation of Displaced Syrian Children in Lebanon". For more on this workshop and to access the seven papers released at the event, visit: https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/1829-evidence-on-social-protection-in-contexts-of-fragility-and-forced-displacement.html

1. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
No Lost Generation
Supporting the School Participation of Displaced Syrian
Children in Lebanon
Jacobus de Hoop1
Mitchell Morey2
David Seidenfeld2
1UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti
2American Institutes for Research
June 7, 2018
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2. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Partners
• Reaching All Children with Education (RACE) PMU in
Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education
• UNICEF Lebanon
• UNICEF MENA Regional Office
• UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti
• World Food Programme
• Caritas Lebanon
• UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
• American Institutes for Research
• Statistics Lebanon
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3. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Background
• 5.9mln total population
• 1-1.5mln Syrian refugees
• 0.5mln: primary school aged children
• >50% out of school (VASyR, 2016)
• 93% of Syrian children in school prior to conflict
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4. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Education response
In Lebanon, MEHE, UNICEF and partners:
• Waive primary school fees & residency obligations
• Afternoon shift education
• Accelerated learning program
• Transport
Reasons for residual non-attendance (VASyR, 2016):
• Cost of education
• Reliance child income generation
→ No Lost Generation Cash Transfer Program
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5. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
This study...
... makes a unique contribution by identifying the effects of the
programme:
• Child focus
• Displacement setting
• Quantitative baseline and follow-up
• Quasi-experimental comparison group
Helps programming to make displaced children survive and thrive
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6. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Punchline
In settings of massive displacement, cash-support can improve
schooling outcomes especially if coordinated with supply side
interventions
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7. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
No Lost Generation Program 2016/2017
Pilot in two governorates: Akkar & Mt. Lebanon
• Cash for children in afternoon shift
• HMC displacement setting, relatively high transfer amounts
• US$20/month for children aged 6-9
• US$65/month for children aged 10-14
• Unconditional, but ”labelled”
• Attendance monitoring & referral services
• Reaching nearly 50k children
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8. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Geographical regression discontinuity
Sampling:
• 74 schools/clusters
• 20 households per cluster
• 1,784 children aged 6-9
• 1,647 children aged 10-14
Data collection:
• Baseline: prior to start NLG
• Midline: during 16/17 s.year
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9. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Baseline school enrolment
Overal enrollment %
Comparison ←→ Pilot
Afternoon shift enrollment %
Comparison ←→ Pilot
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10. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Follow-up school enrolment
Overal enrollment %
Comparison ←→ Pilot
Afternoon shift enrollment %
Comparison ←→ Pilot
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11. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Follow-up No Lost Generation take-up %
Comparison ←→ Pilot
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12. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Follow-up education expenditures and bus transprt
Education expenditure (USD)
Comparison ←→ Pilot
Bus transport %
Comparison ←→ Pilot
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13. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Follow-up weekly days of school attendance
Comparison ←→ Pilot
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14. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Wider impacts: sneak preview
• Health
• Food consumption
• Household chores
• Depression
• Trust, optimism, assertiveness
• Education aspirations
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15. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Limitations
• Sampled from current catchment areas
• Other support programs:
• Cash transfer programs
• Education interventions
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16. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Conclusions for policy
In settings of massive displacement:
• Demand side programs can be an important complement to
raise school attendance and help avoid a lost generation
• Critical to coordinate demand and supply-side programming
to the maximum extent possible
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17. Introduction Program Methodology Findings Discussion
Research priorities
• Understanding the role of information provision
• Understanding the impact of scaling down
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18. Thank you
• Email: jdehoop@unicef.org
• Twitter: @jjdehoop
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