Paper short abstract:

This article forms part of a British-Academy project ‘Towards early childhood education by 2030 for all children in Lebanon’ exploring multidimensional poverty reduction for deprived Lebanese children and Syrian child refugees in the context of Covid19 and draws policy implications.

Paper long abstract:

This article draws on empirical research from a British-Academy funded project ‘Towards early childhood education by 2030 for all children in Lebanon’ exploring reduction of multidimensional policy via inclusive educational access for deprived Lebanese children and Syrian child refugees. Equality of access to education is critical for enhancing the life chances of deprived children in order to rupture the intergenerational transfer or poverty and inequality. Lebanon is an example of a middle-income country that has committed to the roll out of universal education for all children. Since 2011 Lebanon has hosted approximately 1.5 million refugees from the Syrian conflict, half of whom are children. It has the world’s highest concentration of refugees per capita and aims to integrate all children (including Syrian refugees) into its public schools. However, the emergence of Covid19 at a time of increasing economic, political and social unrest in Lebanon is proving a major complicating factor in reducing multidimensional poverty. Using intersectional life course analysis this article examines the material, perceptual and relational impacts of Covid19 on low-income Lebanese and Syrian refugees and their families. Specifically, it explores how widespread closure of schools has exacerbated pre-existing difficulties experienced by deprived and stigmatised groups of children in accessing inclusive education, many of whom, in the context of a global pandemic additionally lack access to technology to participate. This article explores the lived experiences of children in navigating access to inclusive education, whilst revealing impacts on their socio-economic and psychosocial wellbeing and assesses implications for policy.