Giving Compass' Take:

• The UN children's fund reports that millions of Syrian refugee children can no longer attend school because of violent conflict or because the buildings are currently being used to house refugee families. 

• How can philanthropists and development aid agencies partner to help support refugee education? 

• Read the Refugee Crisis Giving Compass Guide for donor support. 

The UN children’s fund reports only half of Syria’s 4 million school children will be able to return to the classroom this month because of conflict and a severe shortage of money.

UNICEF reports more than seven years of war in Syria has put 1 in 3 schools out of use. It says many have been destroyed or damaged, while others are sheltering displaced families. Some schools are being used for military purposes in this war, which is estimated to have killed more than half a million people.

This year, UNICEF says more than 60 schools have been attacked. Despite the destruction of infrastructure, a severe shortage of teachers and lack of money, the agency says children eagerly go to school when they can. It says school provides them with a sense of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic environment.

“In Idlib, schools opened ahead of schedule in an effort to gain more instruction time as schooling is often suspended because of insecurity, shelling and violence. An estimated 400,000 school children, including 70,000 internally displaced students began the school year on the first of September,” said  UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac.

Read the full article about Syrian refugee children by Lisa Schlein at Global Citizen