Some highlights from UNHCR's (2011) Refugee Education Review:
Whilst limited scholarships are available to post-primary education in camps, this does not appear to be a sustainable option, or in fact one that builds local capacity. It is also important to note that UNHCR does not have its own education specialists and therefore relies on partnerships to fulfil this role.
17 years is the average length of a protracted refugee situation according to UNHCR, yet refugee circumstances are still categorised as 'temporary'. I'm left wondering how reconstruction of the home country is expected to take place upon repatriation (as the rhetoric goes), if education is the first provision to be cut when funds are low.
Full report available here.
- Educating urban refugees requires different strategies to encamped refugees;
- Access to post-primary schooling remains limited in camps;
- Quality teachers are in short supply in camps;
- Specialised educational knowledge amongst UNHCR staff and its partners is lacking;
- The quality of education - when it is received - leaves a lot to be desired, and is not an adequate precursor to the world of work.
Whilst limited scholarships are available to post-primary education in camps, this does not appear to be a sustainable option, or in fact one that builds local capacity. It is also important to note that UNHCR does not have its own education specialists and therefore relies on partnerships to fulfil this role.
17 years is the average length of a protracted refugee situation according to UNHCR, yet refugee circumstances are still categorised as 'temporary'. I'm left wondering how reconstruction of the home country is expected to take place upon repatriation (as the rhetoric goes), if education is the first provision to be cut when funds are low.
Full report available here.