George and Amal Clooney plan to support Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon to continue with their education in an effort to prevent thousands of young people from becoming “a lost generation.”

The couple’s Clooney Foundation for Justice has announced it is partnering with UNICEF and Google to devote $2.25 million toward seven public schools in Lebanon.

“Thousands of young Syrian refugees are at risk – the risk of never being a productive part of society. They have been victims of geography and circumstance, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Our goal with this initiative is to help provide Syrian refugee children with an education and put them on a path to be the future leaders their generation desperately needs,” the couple said in a media release.

Public schools in Lebanon that teach Syrian refugees operate on a two-shift system, according to UNICEF.

Lebanese students go to school in the morning during the first shift, and a second shift in the afternoon opens up for refugee children. This allows schools with limited physical space to double their capacity.

Support from the foundation will cover the costs for 3,000 Syrian children to attend school, including registration fees, teacher salaries for the second shift and textbooks, UNICEF said.

There are more than five million Syrian refugees worldwide, with over one million in Lebanon, according to UNHCR.

About 200,000 Syrian refugee children in Lebanon do not go to school.

Actor George Clooney and Amal Clooney, an international human rights lawyer, launched the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016. The organisation aims to “advance justice in courtrooms, communities and classrooms around the world,” according to its mission statement.

Laurie Nowell
AMES Australia Senior Journalist