College aids Syrian refugees’ education

Padworth will take three students on to A-level

PADWORTH College is planning to welcome three Syrian refugees from September, following a successful collaboration between its ‘sister college’ Bishopstrow and the Inspiring Futures Education (IFE) initiative.

Padworth and Bishopstrow, in Warminster, Wiltshire, are both members of IFE.

Following the announcement of the first lockdown in 2020, the organisation signed up three Syrian refugees 15-year-olds Hadeel and Aseel and 14-year-old Lujain - to Bishopstrow’s online teaching service.

The three live in the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon and had previously been offered basic tuition via dedicated refugee charity Alsama.

There are limited educational opportunities beyond secondary level available to the students in Lebanon and IFE has stepped in to offer them the opportunity to study for GCSEs and A-levels at Padworth.

All three have long-term ambitions, with Hadeel hoping to train as a maxillofacial dentist - a member of her family having been shot in the face in Syria.

Their study has to be fully-funded by external sources and the college’s in-house charity, as well as Alsama, are assisting with grants worth 40 per cent of school fees.

Members of the public are also being invited to contribute, including as Keystone Donors - making a contribution of £10,000 or more - or through smaller amounts.

In all, £330,000 is required to cover the girls’ schooling up to graduation.

Alternatively, local people may volunteer as mentors and guardians for the students, helping them settle into life in West Berkshire.

Interest should be registered with Mark Jeynes from the Inspiring Futures Education at mark.jeynes@ ifedu.com or with Marianne Moukhtara of Alsama at marianne.moukhtara@gmail.com

Further information on the scheme is available at bit. ly/3lPOSav

An IFE spokesperson said: “The offers made to Hadeel, Lujain and Aseel were based on merit, demonstrated through the progress made over 12 months at Bishopstrow.

“This is a very exciting step for all of us at IFE, as hosting these students at Padworth will allow us to take an even more meaningful step forward in embracing global citizenship, which is at the core of our ethos.

“The girls are ambitious and would like to progress on to university before returning to their communities in the Middle East.”

The girls are ambitious and would like to progress on to university before returning to their communities in the Middle East