Human Rights Watch says 400,000 Syrian refugee children lack access to schools in Turkey

In this late Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 photo made available Sunday, migrants wait to travel by dinghies to the Greek islands from Turkish coast near Bodrum, Turkey. More than 300,000 people have traveled on boats from nearby Turkey to Greek islands this year, with uncounted numbers dying along the way. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul) (The Associated Press)

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In this late Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 photo made available Sunday, a young migrant waits with her family members to travel by dinghies to the Greek islands from Turkish coast near Bodrum, Turkey. More than 300,000 people have traveled on boats from nearby Turkey to Greek islands this year, with uncounted numbers dying along the way. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul) (The Associated Press)

ANKARA, Turkey – Human Rights Watch says more than 400,000 Syrian refugee children in Turkey are not able to attend school despite a Turkish government move that allowed them access to the Turkish schooling system.

In a report released Monday, the U.S.-based rights group cited a language barrier, integration issues and financial difficulties as reasons for the poor attendance.

The group called on the international community to provide "urgent financial and technical support" for initiatives that would expand the children's access to an education.

Human Right Watch said: "Failing to provide Syrian children with education puts an entire generation at risk."

Turkey is host to more than 2 million refugees from Syria. Human Rights Watch says 708,000 are school-age children.