Turkey, Qatar to establish university for Syrian refugees: Minister

ANKARA

AA Photo

Turkey and Qatar will establish an international joint-degree university for Syrian refugees in Gaziantep and other cities populated by Syrians, Turkish Education Minister Nabi Avcı has said.

Speaking to Hürriyet, Avcı said more space was needed in higher education institutions for Syrian refugee university students, adding that more elementary-level schools were also necessary to cope with the demand. 

Children living in Syrian refugee camps attend schools operated by local municipalities and non-governmental organizations in the area, Avcı said. Syrian refugee children are taught based on the Syrian curriculum, but receive five hours of Turkish language classes per week. 

“We prioritize Turkish students in the school recruiting period. We draft Syrian children into schools when there is extra space for them … I heard some opposition parties say Syrian children were being prioritized over Turkish students during school recruiting. But in fact we give them extra spaces,” he said.