A big number of Syrian/Palestinian refugees had taken refuge in existing Palestinian refugee camps. They were experiencing the bitterness of losing their homes for the second time and needed the essentials of shelter, food and clothes. But it soon became evident that education presented a big problem as a result of the difference in the language of instruction. Arabic is the language of instruction for all subjects in Syria while in Lebanon, English and French are used for most major subjects with Arabic taught as a language. The younger children found it easier to adapt while many of the older children were unable to cope and dropped out of school. Finding big numbers of young people wasting the most formative years of their lives instigated the JCC to introduce a schooling program for the higher classes following the Syrian curriculum and using the Arabic language for instruction. Amongst the refugees were many qualified Syrian teachers who knew the system well and needed to work. And so the JCC decided to launch an educational program for students aged 14-18 following the Syrian curriculum, using Arabic text books and Syrian instructors.