The research report explores the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in providing educational services during the ongoing conflict in Syria. The report aims to understand the capacity of CSOs to act as key stakeholders in education and promote values like social peace and equal citizenship.

The research utilized qualitative interviews with 55 key informants and extensive desktop analysis to examine the presence, visibility, and reputation of 293 CSOs working across six regions of Syria: Dara’a, Sweida, Raqqa, Idlib, Afrin, and Qamishli. The report highlighted how CSOs operate under varying socio-political conditions, filling gaps in formal education through non-formal programs, emergency services, and remedial education for students who have dropped out.

Key findings revealed that the CSOs' role in education is often constrained by limited resources, short-term donor funding cycles, and complex interactions with local authorities and de facto powers. CSOs often face pressure to adhere to the ideological frameworks imposed by these powers and encounter financial burdens imposed through direct or indirect taxation. The ability of CSOs to collaborate with other stakeholders is often hampered by a culture of mistrust and competition for scarce resources.

Although CSOs have helped to maintain access to education, particularly in regions where formal education systems have collapsed, their long-term impact is limited by a fragmented operational ecosystem. The report stresses the need for CSOs to transition from emergency interventions to more sustainable support for public education, focusing on the promotion of peace, citizenship, and the equitable provision of education services across the country.