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Welcome to our coverage of the Supporting Syria and the Region pledging conference in London. The international community is gathering to raise money to help the millions of people affected by the Syrian conflict.

Here are the main education-related points so far:

British Prime Minister David Cameron听has promised to use UK aid to help one million Syrian refugee children currently not in school to get an education听in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

The Global Business Coalition for Education has announced the private sector has committed 拢75 million to support the education of one million refugee children in host countries.

Norway will double its funding for Syrian refugees to听about $280 million 鈥� with 15% of it earmarked for education and child protection.

The United States announces new funding of $290 million听specifically for education in Lebanon and Jordan.

If you want to know more about the background to the conference,

BEFORE WE START鈥�

Picture: Getty Images/Ben Pruchnie

Young Syrian refugees have sent hundreds of hand-printed messages to world leaders, asking them to provide education for every child.

TV鈥檚 Downton Abbey star Laura Carmichael and Soulayma Mardam 鈥� a Global Youth Ambassador for A World at School 鈥� delivered the messages on Wednesday against the backdrop of the famous Big Ben tower in London.

and find out what Laura and Soulayma had to say about providing education for every Syrian refugee child.

8am UPDATE

A key announcement this morning from David Cameron. The UK Prime Minister says: 鈥淲e will use our aid money to support Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan in making sure that every child in these countries will have access to education by the end of the next school year.

鈥淭his will mean one million children currently not in school getting an education.

In , Mr Cameron writes: 鈥淲e are already the world鈥檚 second biggest bilateral donor to the region and we will now more double our total pledge to over $2.3 billion 鈥� committing twice as much this year as last.鈥�

He adds: 鈥淲e will use our aid money to support Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan in making sure that every refugee and vulnerable child in those countries will have access to education by the end of the next school year. This will mean one million children currently not in school getting an education.鈥�

BACKING FROM BUSINESSES

Sarah Brown visits Syrian refugee students at Mtein school at Mount Lebanon Picture: Anthony Achkar

Sarah Brown, Executive Chair of the (GBC-Education), has outlined new commitments and partnerships from the private sector to help support one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey get an education this year.

The announcement will be made at the conference, where GBC-Education convened private sector partners from around the world alongside the conference hosts, UN agencies, and key donors.

She said: 鈥淭he challenge of getting one million Syrian children in school this year requires urgent and innovative support from all sectors, and the business community has a unique role in tackling some of the barriers stopping children getting a quality education.鈥�

EDUCATION SESSION

A special education event at the conference has been convened by GBC-Education, with an array of guest speakers who are experts in the field of global education.

After opening remarks from Borge Brende, Norway鈥檚 foreign minister, education campaigner Malala Yousafzai is addressing the meeting. She introduces a very special guest 鈥� Muzoon Almellehan, whose family fled from Syria to Jordan and is now living in the UK..

听听

Muzoon听Almellehan from Syria tells of her hopes and dreams听听

Muzoon, a 17-year-old who dreams of becoming a journalist, says: 鈥淚 am only one girl but I am here today to speak for all refugee children.鈥�

She adds: 鈥淲e need education because Syria needs us. Without us who will bring peace?鈥� Talking about the so-called Lost Generation of Syrian young people, Muzoon says: 鈥淲e are not lost 鈥� we have not lost our love of learning. We have not lost hope.鈥�

Now we hear from Justine Greening, Britain鈥檚 Secretary of State for International Development. She says: 鈥淲e have got about half of the children into school but it鈥檚 not enough. We need everyone to step up to the plate at this conference.鈥�

Lebanon鈥檚 education minister Elias Bou Saab then outlines the challenges of educating 400,000 Syrian refugee students living in his country.

鈥榃e said, let鈥檚 build a system where we can get every child in school.鈥�

鈥� GBCEducation (@gbceducation)

Imad Fakhoury, Jordanian Minister for Planning, outlines what his country is doing to provide education for refugees in his country.

He says: 鈥淭he burden has reached its saturation point.鈥� He says Jordan has had to hire 6000 extra teachers and 17% of local students are attending double-shift schools, where Jordanian and Syrian children are educated in the same school building at different times.

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chair of Qatar Foundation and Education Above All, talks about the importance of partnerships and announces funding to educate one million primary-age children.

UNICEF executive Director Anthony Lake (pictured above) says hundreds of thousands of children are already in school thanks to donors, host governments and local communities.

But he adds: 鈥淚t is the children themselves who are the key.鈥�

Sarah Brown announces the extra $75 million in funding from GBC-Education (see earlier entry and ) and then introduces some of those businesses which are helping.

Caitlin Baron from the Speed School Fund explains the work of her organisation in helping children denied an education to get back into the classroom.

Caitlin says: 鈥淭he fund is proud to have committed to raise $20 million to enable Syrian refugee children to be ready to take up places in government schools. Through accelerated learning programmes, we enable children to enter school at grade level and progress with their peers.鈥�

Caitlin Baron from the Speed School Fund

Sarah then introduces Romen Mathieu, from ITWORX Education via the EuroMENA Fund.

He says getting one million children into school this year would be extremely challenging using conventional methods. But he adds:听鈥淭he good news is that if we use technology it is completely possible to bring eduction to every one of them, wherever they are. This is what the private sector can bring.鈥�

Alex Asseily, founder of Jawbone, says: 鈥淲hen we can learn adaptively, we can change our strategies in real time and that allows us to spend our money more judiciously and allows us to move faster.鈥�

Good session at Supporting Syria & The Region conference with commitments for education coming

鈥� Sarah Brown (@SarahBrownUK)

John Fallon, chief executive of Pearson, talks about leveraging companies鈥� own employees, saying they 鈥渆xpect us to be involved鈥� in work like this and 鈥渨ant to be involved themselves鈥�.

After the GBC-Education section, we hear from听Paige Alexander, USAID Assistant Administrator. She announces an increase of US funding specifically for education in Lebanon and Jordan to about $300 million. 鈥淣one of us can do this alone,鈥� she adds.

Massa Mufti, CEO of Sonbola, talks about providing education for Syrian children in Lebanon 鈥� and the important role of Syrian teachers. .

听The top table as the education side event finishes听

Tove Wang, CEO of Save The Children Norway, pays tribute to the NGOs working on the ground in Syria. She adds: 鈥淭he plan requires money, it also requires policy and system change.It also needs security because schools are being attacked every day.鈥�

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, says: 鈥淭his is a complex issue. We have to have informal as well as formal education. There is huge learning gap among Syrian youth.听Tomorrow these young people have to find jobs and be part of their societies.鈥�

Borge Brende and Justine Greening then sum up the education session.

Ms Greening says: 鈥淲e have a clearer idea now of what we have to do and how to do it.鈥�

Mr Brende pays tribute to the host communities and adds: 鈥淚f you think education is expensive, try ignorance.鈥�

Syrian and Lebanese students sit together in classes at a mixed elementary public school in Beirut Lebanon Picture: Adam Patterson/Panos/DFID

THE MAIN CONFERENCE BEGINS

With the education side event over, it鈥檚 time for the co-hosts to welcome everyone to the main plenary session. British Prime Minister David Cameron is first to speak.

He says: 鈥淚f ever there was a time to take a new approach to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, surely it is now. 鈥�

Mr Cameron adds that the vital tasks for donors include education. He says: 鈥淲e do not want a generation to miss out on school and all that it means for their life chances.鈥�

He introduces Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary-General, who says: 鈥淭oday let us commit to getting all Syrian refugee children into school within months, not years.鈥�

Today the world has to act 鈥� and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon agrees.

鈥� A World at School (@aworldatschool)

Norway has been leading the way in the fight for education funds for Syrian refugee children. So it鈥檚 fitting that Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg is here.

She announces that Norway will double its funds for the Syrian crisis to about $280 million 鈥� with 15% of it earmarked for education and child protection. In total it is pledging $1.6 billion over the next four years.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg addresses the conference

Now we go into specific, themed pledging sessions, with education later today. So let鈥檚 remind ourselves of why getting all Syrian children into school is so vital.

IT鈥橲 ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN

Syrian girls and boys are talented young people who need education if they are to fulfil their potential. We found 10 amazing youngsters for our Hope for Syria鈥檚 Young Talent campaign. .

And watch this moving and inspirational video about three brothers who use rap to express their feelings about Syria and their new life in Lebanon.

A BIG PLEDGE FROM THE USA

US Secretary of State John Kerry uses the humanitarian pledging session to announce $290 million in new funding specifically to support schooling for 300,000 children in Jordan and Lebanon.

It鈥檚 part of the overall American pledge of $925 million to support Syrians.

GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS

Tom Fletcher 鈥� Global Strategy Director of GBC-Education, has been appearing on the BBC鈥檚 flagship World at One radio show.

He says: 鈥淥ur great hope is that we鈥檙e going to have finance in place at the end of the day to get one million Syrian kids into school.

鈥淭hat means one million Syrian kids who won鈥檛 be making that perilous journey across the Mediterranean, who won鈥檛 be easy prety for those who would like to see them in suicide vests 鈥� but back where they actually want to be 鈥� behind their desks and studying.鈥�

Syrian children taking part in a reading challenge Picture: Facebook/Sonbola

That鈥檚 exactly the message from some of the world鈥檚 leading charities and aid agencies working inside Syria or across the region with Syrian refugees 鈥� including A World at School鈥檚 parent charity sa国际传媒, Save The Children and Plan International.

ahead of the conference, which read: 鈥淲e are calling on the participants in the London conference to commit to ensure all children and young people affected by the conflict have access to safe, quality, and relevant educational opportunities during the 2016/2017 academic year and on an ongoing basis.鈥�

Kolleen Bouchane, Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy for A World at School and GBC-Education, has been at the conference.

But she鈥檚 taken time out to write a blog for the Huffington Post, in which she says: 鈥淭oday for the first time, education was front and centre of the humanitarian response agenda.鈥�

听Refugee Fatima, 12, in a mixed Syrian and Lebanese class in Beirut 听P听icture: Addam Patterson/Panos/DFID

NEW THINKING IS NEEDED

During the Inside Syria session, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon makes another impassioned plea for education funding. Hey says:听鈥淚nside Syria, nearly one child in three is out of school. Women and girls are enslaved and children, the sick and elderly are at risk of malnutrition and starvation.鈥�

He adds: 鈥淲e must build on initiatives such as UNICEF鈥檚 No Lost Generation campaign and my special envoy Gordon Brown鈥檚 proposal to get one million Syrian children into school in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

鈥淭hese steps will require substantial financial commitments, new partnerships and innovative thinking.鈥�

EDUCATION IS THE PRIORITY

It鈥檚 3.30pm UK time and now we begin a special pledging session on education, hosted and co-chaired by Norway and Lebanon.

First to speak is Norway鈥檚 Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who says: 鈥淭he message from this conference must be clear. We are committed to fulfilling the rights of all Syrian children to education.

鈥淲e are ready to provide the resources for all Syrian children and host community children in neighbouring countries to have access to education by the beginning of the school year.鈥�

Justine Greening is about to introduce education campaigner and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. As she does, she says:听鈥淵oung people have the ability to change our world for the better, with your energy and your inspiration.鈥�

Malala Yousafzai makes her plea to the conference

Malala says: 鈥淚 am here because I cannot tolerate that the world is staying silent while Syria is suffering.

鈥淚鈥檓 here to remind you that Syria鈥檚 future depends on its children. And their future depends on you and the decisions you make.鈥�

Talking about her own family鈥檚 flight from the Swat Valley in Pakistan, she adds: 鈥淚 know what it is like to be forced out of your country. It saddens me that that experience is shared by millions of people and children right now.鈥�

Referring to the so-called Lost Generation of Syrian children, Malala says: 鈥淭hese children will only be lost if you choose to give up on them. These children will only be lost if you choose to fail them.鈥�

Lebanon鈥檚 education minister, Elias Bou Saab, has been at the forefront of efforts to give Syrian children an education through the double-shift system.

He tells the conference of his own experience as a refugee in 1992, when he missed a year of school when his family fled from Lebanon to Syria.

Elias Bou Saab in tears as he tells the story of Mohammed

The room is then silent as 鈥� fighting back tears and his voice choked with emotion 鈥� he tells of an incident just four weeks ago.

鈥淢ohammed, seven years old, died in school,鈥� says Mr Bou Saab. 鈥淢ohammed is a Syrian refugee. I asked to speak to his father in the hospital and he told me he had five children in the same school.

鈥淏ut he鈥檚 happy that Mohammed had an opportunity to die while he had a chance to go to school.

鈥淗e walked out of the room, walked into the other three rooms where his brothers and sisters are, looked at them and went back to his room and died because he is sick. His father didn鈥檛 know of his illness.

鈥淭he international community is to be thanked that Mohammed, before he died, and his brothers and the rest will get an opportunity to go to school.鈥�

鈥淭his is what refugees want desperately.鈥� on education and livelihoods at today

鈥� UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees)

Tunisian tourist minister and business leader Dr Amel Karboul talks about the value of the private sector in delivering education to refugees.

She mentions the commitments of . She adds that the the private sector can bring 鈥渃reative, maybe even disruptive鈥� solutions 鈥� and says technology can take education to children who cannot go to a physical school.

DELIVERING ON THE PROMISE

The final part of today鈥檚 proceedings is the press conference with the co-hosts. David Cameron says the Syria conference has raised more than $10 billion in pledges 鈥� 鈥渢he largest amount of money ever raised in one day in response to a humanitarian crisis鈥�.

He says the money raised will mean one million refugee children in neighbouring countries will definitely be able to go to school.

Mr Cameron adds:听鈥淭oday has been and is a day of hope, a day about saving lives, a day about building futures, a day about giving people the chance of a future, the chance of a life.鈥�

Ban Ki-moon thanks the governments of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey for choosing solidarity instead of fear. He adds: 鈥淣ever has the international community raised so much on a single day for a single crisis.鈥�

With the official conference over, of our amazing Global Youth Ambassadors then deliveres the messages from Syrian children to the UN Secretary-General.

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