You Know Me: CHILDREN TELL US WHO S NOT IN Watch the movie here: SCHOOL AND WHY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

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1 You Know Me: CHILDREN TELL US WHO S NOT IN SCHOOL AND WHY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

2 In late 2014, UNICEF Middle East and North Africa commissioned a short film about why the region s children are not in school. Shooting took place in Jordan and Morocco, and the film will be used to raise awareness and advocate for policy changes and greater investments in education. Many of the children who appeared in the film were themselves not going to school. You can read some of their real life stories in this booklet. On location in Morocco, November Youssef Alaoui from Wired Video works with local children on a movie about why children are not in school. All photos UNICEF 2014/Few (larger images, except Sanna on page 10) or UNICEF 2014/ Wired (smaller images and Rabab). [The whole experience] proved that if these kids are given something to do, and a little respect, they can actually make something of their lives... That s why we are making this film. - Youssef Alaoui

3 On the way to Jordan, there were many snipers, but luckily we didn t get shot. 10-year-old Batul lives in a tent in Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan, where she s been since her family fled the bombing in Syria nearly two years ago. Now she just wants to go back. Here, she says, there is no comparison to home. Here, there is nothing. Around 2 million children have been forced out of school inside Syria. UNICEF is working to supply and repair schools, and to offer alternative ways to learn for children who can t get back into class, such as remedial education and distance learning.

4 There s no job I haven t tried. Nidal is 14. Like Batul, he fled the bombing in Syria and now lives in Amman, Jordan where he stays with an uncle. Because he needs to support his family, Nidal doesn t go to school. Back in Syria, he dreamed of becoming a doctor. But right now, he s delivering newspapers for just over a dollar a day. 600,000 Syrian refugee children are out of school. In host countries, UNICEF is providing educational supplies, supporting double shifts and working with governments to expand educational opportunities for both refugee and local children.

5 I felt that no one cared whether or not I went to school or did well in life. 15-year-old Samira lives in Marrakech in Morocco. She dropped out of school two years ago, after her father died and the family had to cut back on expenses. Samira believes that school is the most important thing in life for children, but has given up on going back to class herself. At 15, she says, it s too late for her. A girl in the MENA region is 25% more likely to be out of school than a boy. UNICEF is advocating for parents and communities to see the value in girls education. UNICEF also campaigns against child marriage, which is widespread and usually means the end of a girl s school life.

6 I miss the atmosphere of school. 14-year-old Sanna lives in a small town outside Marrakech in Morocco. Her dad thinks the long walk to the nearest secondary school is too dangerous for a girl, so she stays at home every day doing nothing. Sanna would like to carry on with her studies, but only if a school is built nearer to her house so she can get home before dark. Across the region, girls miss out on school because parents and communities think it is too dangerous for them to go. UNICEF is advocating for governments to provide more and better school services for girls, including trained female teachers and girl-friendly school environments.

7 Since being at home, I ve seen the bad side of life: the drug addicts who don t go to school, and the beggars. Osama is 11 and also lives in Marrakech. After leaving school, he worked in a factory but couldn t take the smell of the chemicals, so he left. Now he stays at home and tries to teach himself. But he s not getting very far and he s worried about the future. He says he doesn t know what he ll tell his children when they ask him questions he can t answer. There are 6.2 million children at risk of dropping out across the region. UNICEF is assisting governments to implement programmes that identify and support children who need extra help. UNICEF also works to get children who have dropped out back into class.

8 There was no way I could go back to what they were doing to me. Hamza is 15. He left school after one too many beatings from his teachers. They used to hit him with a hard rubber hosepipe, leaving him in pain and humiliated. He was so scared by this treatment that he didn t even dare to tell his parents. He was totally alone. 50% of countries in the region have yet to ban corporal punishment. Find out what UNICEF is doing to change laws and make schools safer and happier places for children here:

9 UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, For more information: Copyright 2015 UNICEF MENA Regional Office