Access to and retention in secondary education

Many of the most vulnerable adolescents, including refugees, do not regularly attend, or drop out of, secondary school in Türkiye. There are many reasons for this, including social pressures and cultural practices. Economic hardships can play a part too, often resulting in child labour and child marriage.

UNICEF and its partners continue to implement programmes to ensure that all adolescents, especially the most vulnerable, have equitable access to formal and non-formal education opportunities. We help with finance, protection, paperwork, registration, health and disability-related barriers and referrals to various external services.

With the support of community members, we are continuing to help deliver outreach activities, and to identify, support and enrol refugee children in learning. We are also helping to enable out-of-school adolescents to get back into formal schooling, especially those who have been subject to child labour.

Together, MONE and UNICEF have set up an early warning system to prevent vulnerable adolescents at upper secondary schools from leaving school early. We are also helping to develop and implement programmes to help students who are academically challenged and at risk.