The displacement of thousands of people has caused one of the biggest refugee crises in history. For refugee children, one of the main concerns they face is falling behind in their education. Over three million refugee children have no school to go to, with over one million not being able to enroll in primary school. Learning is important for the development of children, but in crisis situations, it tends to be pushed aside. It is essential to focus on improving education for refugee children so that future generations do not fall behind.

Over half of refugees in the world are under the age of 18. This means that many refugees face the challenge of completing their basic education. One challenge is gaining access to education for refugee children. If they can find a school that is run by an organization, such as UNICEF, there is a lack of resources due to the influx of students. Another issue with the overcrowding of classrooms is that schools place a maximum age on entry levels. This means that sometimes displaced children may not be able to go back and complete the level that they were at.

Adjusting to different regulations within different countries can be another challenge for refugee students. Most of the time, refugee students move to different countries more than once, causing further confusion. Unfortunately, refugee children often need to work instead of going to school. Their displacement situation often means that their families need income.

One solution to these issues is to provide more funding to schools and universities. Another way to help refugee education is to develop a curriculum for refugees that follows similar topics to their home institutions and to allow refugee teachers to teach.

There are multiple organizations that are helping refugee students access an education, such as the U.N. Refugee Agency and Blue Rose Compass.

The U.N. Refugee Agency aims to get more refugee children to access primary education and secure resources for refugee schools. Both the U.N. Refugee Agency and Blue Rose Compass provide scholarships for exceptional refugee students to get a higher education at world-leading universities. 

Enabling education for refugee children is important for the future economy and the development of the young refugee generation. Donating to organizations such as UNICEF, the U.N. Refugee Agency and Blue Rose Compass is making an impact on refugee schools and students.    

– Deanna Wetmore

Photo: Flickr