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REFUGEE EDUCATION TRUST

The mission of the Refugee Education Trust (RET) is toprovide quality post-primary education to the largestpossible number of refugee children, pursuing regionalpeace and development, countering child soldierenrolment and child prostitution.

Today, developing countries host some 1.5 millionteenage refugees. In 2000, only 50,000 of these—amere 3%—attended school beyond primary school.As a first step, RET aims to double this figure before2006.

RET collects project proposals from operational part-ners in the field, selects and links the best ones up intoRET country programmes, submits those to public andprivate donors for funding and co-ordinates them inthe field, monitors, evaluates, audits and reports.

The initial goal is to double refugee school attendancein less than five years. The implementing capacityexists worldwide and can be mobilized. Financialresources are the limiting constraint.

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First International Symposiumon Post-Primary Education forRefugees and InternallyDisplaced Persons (IDPs)

18–19 September 2002, GenevaRefugee Education Trust

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Refugee Education Trust (RET)

First International Symposiumon Post-Primary Educationfor Refugees and IDPs

18�19 September 2002, GenevaSupported by the Ford Foundation and UNHCR

REFUGEE EDUCATION TRUST

The mission of the Refugee Education Trust (RET) isto provide quality post-primary education to thelargest possible number of refugee children, pursu-ing regional peace and development, counteringchild soldier enrolment and child prostitution.

Today, developing countries host some 1.5 millionteenage refugees. In 2000, only 50,000 of these�a mere 3%�attended school beyond primaryschool. As a first step, RET aims to double this fig-ure before 2006.

RET collects project proposals from operationalpartners in the field, selects and links the best onesup into RET country programmes, submits thoseto public and private donors for funding and co-ordinates them in the field, monitors, evaluates,audits and reports.

The initial goal is to double refugee school atten-dance in less than five years. The implementingcapacity exists worldwide and can be mobilized.Financial resources are the limiting constraint.

Copyright © February 2003Refugee Education Trust (RET)Printed in SwitzerlandAll rights reserved.Report Design: Randy Schmieder, m.c. art design communications

RET�s Mission 2

Messages 5

Committees 6

Why this Symposium? 7About the Symposium & Report 7Principal Recommendations 9

Workshop Descriptions 13

Introduction 13Statistics Workshop 14Emergencies Workshop 15Returnees & Reconstruction Workshop 16Gender Workshop 17Quality Workshop 18Life Skills and Conflict Prevention Workshop 19Vocational Training Workshop 20Distance Education Workshop 21

Workshop Speakers 22

Participants List 25

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REFUGEE EDUCATION TRUST: FIRST SYMPOSIUM ON POST-PRIMARY REFUGEE EDUCATION REPORT / 5

MESSAGE FROM OLARA OTUNNU

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL

Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for Children and Armed ConflictI am happy that the Refugee Education Trust isorganising a symposium on the important topic ofproviding education to refugees and other dis-placed populations. The magnitude of the need toprovide education to such populations is clearlyevident from the Refugee Education Trust's ownfinding that, in developing countries, only 3% outof some 1.5 million refugee children attend schoolbeyond the primary level.

In my visits to war-affected countries, I have uni-versally found that children's education�not just inthe sense of literacy, but more in the comprehensivesense of learning�has been the first to suffer.Instances abound in war-affected areas of childreneither growing up without any education or havingtheir schooling interrupted for long periods of time.In all these areas, I have universally found that chil-dren long for schooling, for common educationalmaterials like crayons, pencils, textbooks and simplerecreational materials like footballs, wrestlingmats, toys; materials that children in any part of theworld would normally have access to as a matterof course, as a part of their normal growth.

Children in and from war areas have to contendwith multiple jeopardy; a particular one that I maymention is the loss of the parents in war. Such chil-dren are forced to work to feed their families andare often the first ones to drop out of schools.Poverty and depravation within families�so oftenthe accompaniment of war�also impact not onlyon the healthy growth of children but also on theirmental and psychological well-being.

As I wish every success to the symposium in itsdeliberations and look forward to its results, I amreminded of a 7 year old returnee boy in Herat inAfghanistan who asked me the innocent question:�Why do I shine shoes and not go to school or play?What have I done to deserve this?� !

MESSAGE FROM SADAKO OGATA,FOUNDING PRESIDENT RET

am happy to report here that the RETSymposium in Geneva on 18�19 September2002 has been a great success. It was the first

ever international symposium on post-primaryeducation for refugees and displaced persons.There were 135 participants coming from 67organisations and they produced over 100 recom-mendations.

The large number of participants indicates theimportance and urgency of the problem we aretrying to solve. It also demonstrates the goodwilland international solidarity behind us.

The Symposium report will be a useful advocacytool and valuable reference source on post-primaryeducation for refugees. It will also guide RET andothers on the future steps we must take.

I would like to thank everybody involved in theorganisation of the Symposium. This includes thesponsors: the Ford Foundation and UNHCR; thehosts: Graduate Institute for Development Studies(IUED) and International Conference Volunteers(ICV); the Steering Committee and RET Staff andthe participants themselves.

I sincerely hope that as a result of this Symposiumthere will be concrete improvements in educationalopportunities for the thousands of refugee and IDPyouths around the world who are desperately inneed of education. !

I

MESSAGES

FORGOTTENYOUTH

Today the develop-ing countries hostsome 1,5 millionteenage refugees.

In 2000, only50'000 of them, amere 3%, attend-ed school beyondprimary.

As a first step, RETaims to double thisfigure before 2006.

COMMITTEESCOUNCIL

Mrs. Sadako Ogata, Founding President, FormerUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Amb. Emilio Cárdenas, Chairman, CEO,Hongkong Shanghai Bank, Argentina

Lady Lynda Chalker, Former Minister of State inBritish Government

Mrs. Françoise Demole, Chairperson, GenevaFoundation

Dr. David Hamburg, President Emeritus,Carnegie Corporation of New York

Mrs. Barbara Hendricks, opera singer

Dr. Kamal Hossain, Barrister-at-Law and SeniorAdvocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh

Mrs. Zanele Mbeki, First Lady of South Africa

Mr. Jean-Claude Peterschmitt, FormerChairman, Digital Equipment Corporation Europe

Prof. Henry Rosovsky, Former Dean, HarvardUniversity

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn ofThailand

Mr. Frédéric Vallat, Treasurer, Senior Manager,BearingPoint SA

SYMPOSIUM STEERING COMMITTEE

Representatives from the Aga Khan Foundation(Jeremy Greenland), CARE (Nancy Drost),Education International (Sheena Hanley),International Bureau of Education/UNESCO(Sobhi Tawil), International Rescue Committee(Wendy Smith/Joseph Aguettant), Jesuit RefugeeService (Lolin Menendez/Christine Bloch),Lutheran World Federation (RebeccaLarsen/Roswitha Dinger), Norwegian RefugeeCouncil (Eldrid Midttun), Windle Trust/HughPilkington Charitable Trust (Robin Shawyer),UNESCO (Karem Bensaleh/ Daniel Hamrol-Bedogni), UNHCR (Nemia Temporal), UNICEF(Pilar Aguilar), UN Special Representative forChildren and Armed Conflict (Bart Vrolijk), theGraduate Institute of Development Studies,Geneva (Michel Carton), and RET (special adviserVivien Stewart). !

6 / REFUGEE EDUCATION TRUST: FIRST SYMPOSIUM ON POST-PRIMARY REFUGEE EDUCATION REPORT

ORGANISING TEAMMrs. Ann Avery

Mr. Tim Brown

Mr. Tom Delrue

Brother Stan Goetschalckx

Mrs. Marina López-Anselme

Mr. Remi Mannaert

Mr. Phasi Ndudi

Ms. Claudia Ortiz

VOLUNTEERSJamil Abousamra, Joan Alaoui, Ruth Avison,Barbara Belli, Janet Dupont, Veronique Hasson,Eva Kupfer, Sabrina Labbe, Alison Lilley, LauraMeredith, Valérie Meredith, Lise Postmantir,Corinne Rubin, Wanda Verhagen (ICVolunteers)

PHOTOGRAPHSP. Benator (UNHCR), T. Bolstad (UNHCR), A.Hollman (UNHCR), B. Neeleman (UNHCR), W.Stone (UNHCR), L. Taylor (UNHCR), T. Brown(RET), V. Krebs (ICVolunteers)

ost-primary education for refugees gets fartoo little attention. While several large andinfluential international organizations, as

well as some small ones, work for refugees andinternally displaced persons, most of them devotea small percentage of their efforts to education andto post-primary education. It is rare that specialistshave a chance to come together to talk with theircolleagues solely about educational programs foradolescent refugees.

This is why we at RET organized the �first interna-tional symposium on post-primary education forrefugees��to declare the urgency of educatingrefugee youth beyond the primary level, and to giveour partners in this field a chance to put their expe-rience and ideas together, to encourage each other.

We are happy to present the results of this action.To the participants: we appreciate the great effortsnecessary for you to be present at the symposium.Your presence made a difference.

ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM & REPORT

Please use this summary as a tool to improve theeducational opportunities for refugee and internallydisplaced children.

The symposium and its preparationA steering committee of representatives for organ-izations was formed and helped to organize theconference. About 200 government representativeswere personally informed of the symposium and ofthe importance of educational activities for theseyouth (DAC network for conflict resolution andpeace, representatives of permanent missions inGeneva). Several websites carried announcementsof the topics.

Discussion of key topics, before, during andafter the symposiumTopics were chosen for discussion; backgroundpapers were written and posted on the RET website; focus questions were discussed by severalpeople on the Interagency Network for EmergencyEducation (INEE) list serve; new task forces wereproposed� in sum, post-primary education forrefugees became a more frequent subject for dis-cussion.


WHY THIS SYMPOSIUM?

INTERNALLYDISPLACEDPERSONS (IDP)

A huge proportionof refugee and IDPyouth (internation-ally displaced per-sons) of secondary-school age do notattend secondaryschool (estimatedat well over 90%).

We must not for-get this majority.We must includethem in statisticsand analyses sothat adequate pro-grammes can becreated to addresstheir needs.

P Wide participationAttending the Symposium were 135 individuals,representing 67 organizations including: refugeesand internally displaced persons (IDPs), teachers,principals, teacher trainers, NGO staff, UNHCR,ILO, UNESCO (IBE; IEEP) staff, interagency coor-dination staff, students and professors, peace edu-cation trainers and planners, journalists, govern-ment representatives, foundations, royalty, inter-ested citizens.

The presence of people coming directly fromrefugee camps and schools connected us to practi-cal realities. The venue�Geneva's GraduateInstitute for Development Studies�reminded usthat education is inseparable from the overall healthof the society. Having Dr. Nancy Drost as chairper-son, well known for her role in coordinating theINEE, reminded us of how we fit into the widerissue of emergency education and how we relateto other structures established to improve it.

Wide experience sharedWorkshop key speakers prepared backgroundpapers which were put on the website and distrib-uted at the symposium. Each of the 8 workshopsproduced 3 recommendations that were present-ed in the plenary. The leaders gave the workshoporganizers additional recommendations from theirgroups and notes from their discussion. This mate-rial forms the basis of this final report.

Recurring themes in the recommendationsand their implications for RETTwo of the themes that came out in several work-shops are of extreme importance for all the partic-ipants�RET will use them in its work with donorsand policy makers:

1. Post-primary Emergency Education for refugeesand IDPs must be mainstreamed in planning,financing and implementation for emergencies,from the earliest possible moment.

Workshops 1 (Statistics), 2 (Emergencies), 4(Reconstruction and Return), 5 (Quality), 7(Vocational training) and 8 (distance educationand Information & Communications Technology(ICT) each stressed the urgency for donors andplanners to respond to adolescents' urgent

need for educational activities as early as possi-ble in an emergency by including assessmentsof resources and needs in overall contingencyplanning. RET will therefore continue andincrease its efforts to persuade donors to investin post-primary education and encourage itspartners to increase their attention and allot-ment of resources to this sector.

2. Education offered must be relevant. It mustrespond to the adolescents' needs: for relieffrom the trauma of being uprooted, for stability,for simple study skills, computer skills, skills tocope with landmines, AIDS and parenthood,for skills which will help him/ her make a living.Teachers have to learn to transmit these skills.RET will therefore continue to vigorously sup-port teacher training and provision of resourcesthrough resource centers and other means.

Coordinated efforts called for in three areasSymposium participants called for coordinatedefforts in three areas: the establishment of stan-dards for post-primary education, the dissemina-tion of sustainable solutions in distance educationand ICT, and the development of appropriatevocational training for adolescents. The first isunderway under the auspices of INEE. RET isinvestigating possibilities and partnerships in theother two. !

Jan Van Erps

Executive DirectorRefugee Education Trust


IN THE FIELD

RET collects projectproposals fromoperational part-ners in the field,selects and linksthe best ones upinto RET countryprogrammes, submits those topublic and privatedonors for fundingand co-ordinatesthem in the field,monitors, evalu-ates, audits andreports.

STATISTICSevelopment of measurable standardsNoting that current statistics are derivedfrom different educational situations, and

hence may give no indication of quality:

Donors and operational partners should supportthe development of standards for post-primaryeducation for refugees and IDPs that can be tomeasure the educational situation or the impact ofan intervention.

Establishment of a Standards CommitteeNoting the need for standard indicators in advo-cating, planning for, and monitoring, evaluating andcomparing education projects:

RET, UNHCR, INEE, NGOs and others shouldestablish a Standards Committee to develop stan-dard indicators for post-primary education."

Participatory surveys of non-formal educa-tional activitiesNoting that most post-primary-age youth are notenrolled in a formal post-primary education pro-gramme, and that information on other learningactivities is often not collected or analysed system-atically:

RET (and UNHCR) should conduct participatory/community surveys and analyse non-formal activi-ties and their impact, to provide input into deci-sion-making and programme planning.

EMERGENCIESEducation in contingency planningNoting that education is not normally included inemergency contingency planning and prepared-ness�especially at the post-primary level�andthe donor community does not normally under-stand that education is an important element in anadequate emergency response:

The international community should include edu-cation in its emergency contingency planning andpreparedness, and in its appeals.

Early re-establishment of educational activitiesNoting that post-primary education is not yet partof emergency response due to lack of recognition


of right to education; lack of acknowledgementthat education is essential for survival; lack ofunderstanding of long-term impact of interruptionon refugee individual and community:

All actors should recognize the importance of re-establishing educational activities for adolescentsas early as possible and advocate for the right ofadolescents to education.

Non-formal education and survival skillsNoting that the term �post-primary education�suggests a focus on formal education, whereas for-mal education might not be possible in the earlystages of an emergency:

The international community, and donor agenciesin particular, should give priority in the early stagesof an emergency to conveying essential survivaland study skills, such as information on health,STIs, HIV/AIDS, conflict resolution, landmineawareness, and essential literacy, paying specialattention to psychosocial healing and recreationalactivities.

PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS

D

"NGOs are in the process of setting up a standards committeeunder the auspices of INEE.

RIGHTS TOEDUCATION

Education is a rightequally for refugeegirls as for refugeeboys.

Gender-sensitivepost-primary edu-cation for refugeesis a �primary pre-vention� strategyto combat genderinequality as well assexual and genderbased violence.

RETURNEES & RECONSTRUCTIONValidation of education and trainingNoting that validity of education and training qual-ifications for both students and teachers requirescross-border coordination:

National ministries of education should develop amethod to ensure recognition and acceptance ofthe studies completed by teachers and studentswhile in exile. This validation system should includework done at all educational levels, including post-primary and vocational training.

Relevant curriculaNoting that the curriculum for returnees must berelevant and include values education, life skills,health, conflict resolution, peace education, andvocational skills training:

National ministries of education, with supportfrom appropriate agencies, should develop a cur-riculum that is relevant to a post-conflict/recon-struction situation and that addresses the needs ofadolescent returnees and the local population.

Coordination role of governmentNoting that national governments are responsiblefor education policy, but may need supportthrough capacity-building:

The international community, national, regional,and local authorities, and NGOs should coordinatetheir work according to the terms of a MOUdeveloped by the national government with assis-tance from agencies.

GENDERCommunity sensitisationNoting that the low enrolment of girls is partlydue to cultural practices and negative parental


community attitudes towards girls' education, oftentranslating into heavy domestic workloads for girls:

Refugee communities, NGOs and UNHCR should:sensitise the parents; create non-formal adult edu-cation programmes; involve parents in decision-making, planning and implementation of schooling;promote the enforcement of appropriate local leg-islation; and implement media programmes.

Radio educationNoting the lack of both human and materialresources, poorly trained teachers, teachers' biasand the lack of resources in appropriate languages:

Operating partners should make use of community,UN, and national broadcasters as well as of inex-pensive mobile broadcasting units to create essentialeducational programming. Radio education can beused effectively to augment and support classroominstruction and to provide a range of relevant edu-cational content.

Teacher trainingNoting the inadequate quality of refugee teaching,and that quality of teaching is directly linked to theretention of girls in school:

NGOs, UN agencies, governments and donorsshould prioritise training for teachers, provideintensive backup to upgrade standards for womenteachers, target female refugees at the selectionstage, give fair incentives to teachers, and providegender-sensitive and -appropriate resources.

QUALITYIncentivesNoting that the motivation of all actors involved isan important factor in improving the quality ofeducation provided to refugees:

CROSS-BORDERSUPPORT

Cross-borderactivities should beencouraged toenable returningrefugees to contin-ue their educationeffectively duringreintegration andreconstruction.

This needs donorsupport and to beharmonised inclose collaborationwith the educationauthorities oneither side of theborder.

Operational partners should provide increasedincentives to refugee teachers and students. Theseincentives may be cash or in-kind, in the form of,for example, training, scholarships, food/non-fooditems, teaching supplies, stationery, sanitary mate-rials, and uniforms.

Teacher training and supportNoting that teachers are key to the delivery ofquality education in refugee situations, yet trainedteachers often leave the schools to take up better-paid jobs (�brain drain�):

NGOs and senior teachers should support inexpe-rienced refugee teachers by providing them withappropriate mentoring, supervision, and long-termtraining (such as by distance education), whichcould lead to a recognised certificate.

Community participationNoting that improved community participation andownership will enhance the quality of refugeeschools:

NGOs and communities should work towardsincreasing awareness programmes, developingterms of reference for participants to improveaccountability, increasing community participationin school activities, developing mutual responsibili-ties and ownership using local expertise, anddeveloping and providing long-term plans for sus-tainability, including income-generating activities.

LIFE SKILLS AND CONFLICTPREVENTIONImplementation on both sides of borderNoting that life skills and peace education are oftenlimited to refugees or specific beneficiaries:

Actors involved should promote the comprehen-sive implementation of the programme so that allintra- and international communities have accessto the programme.

Life skills for allNoting there is a need for peace education and life-skills programmes to be introduced and integratedin formal and non-formal post-primary education:

NGOs and UN agencies should ensure that all lev-els and sectors of society are involved from thebeginning in the development of these curricula,including governments, education authorities, com-munities, families, media, and the private sector.

Appropriate approachNoting that peace education and conflict preven-tion comprise both urgent and long-term lessonsand content:

All actors should formulate approaches appropriateto the phase and situation in each programme (for-mal or non-formal), ensuring that cultural contextis incorporated and that alternative channels ofcommunication are employed for conveying theinformation.


VOCATIONAL TRAININGAttention to marketNoting that markets (including labour and sales)are fundamental factors in the success of vocation-al training:

All stakeholders should promote the thorough useof market surveys, incorporate relevant businessskills in all vocational training, increase marketingactivities, and introduce new skills to underdevel-oped markets.

Inter-agency groupNoting that training and skills development providedto refugees, IDPs, and returnees is often uncoordi-nated and traditional in nature:

RET should call an inter-agency group on vocationalskills development (UN agencies, bilateral donors,and NGOs) to develop integrated strategies forskills development for refugees, IDPs andreturnees.

New roles for girlsNoting that refugee communities undergo enor-mous change, creating opportunities for girls butalso forcing them into new roles, and that voca-tional training is too focused on traditional skillslearning:

All actors should ensure that communities acceptnew economic roles for girls and women, offerthem vocational training beyond traditional skills,and ensure gender balance.

DISTANCE EDUCATION & ICTTask teamNoting that ICT offers major opportunities for theeffective delivery of education and training inrefugee contexts, but there is a general lack ofawareness of existing experience and solutions tothe problems:

INEE and RET should set up a task team to explorerelevant sustainable solutions and disseminate these.

Partnerships with private sectorNoting that resources for the effective use of ICTare often lacking in refugee situations:

RET and other actors should develop innovativepartnerships, especially with the private sector.

Host government supportNoting that the distance-education facilities avail-able to nationals are often not available to refugeesbecause of cost or policy:

Agencies (UN and other) should negotiate withhost governments to make existing national dis-tance-education facilities accessible to refugees. !

LIFE SKILLS ANDCONFLICT PRE-VENTION

Promotion oftolerance, preven-tion of violentbehaviour andprovision of con-flict managementskills are importantcomponents of aneducation pro-gramme for youngpeople and theirfamilies in refugeeand IDP-affectedregions.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS


3. Returning Adolescents: Rebuilding TheirLives and SocietiesKey speaker: Christopher Talbot, UNESCO/IIEPModerator: Ellen Lange, Norwegian Ministry ofEducation and ResearchRapporteur: Sheena Hanley, EducationInternational

4. Gender: Overcoming Obstacles to EquityKey speaker: Dorothy Jobolingo", UNHCRUgandaModerator: Pamela Baxter, UNHCR GenevaRapporteur: Sobhi Tawil, UNESCO/IBE

5. Quality of Formal Post-primary Education:Raising Quality and Lowering CostsKey speaker: Tim Brown, UNHCR/RETModerator: Birgit Villumstad, NorwegianChurch AidRapporteur: David Walker, IRC

6. Life Skills and Conflict Prevention:Integrating Conflict-Prevention Skills inEducationKey speaker: Oscar Nkulu, UNHCR(Democratic Republic of the Congo)Moderator: Eldrid Midttun, NorwegianRefugee CouncilRapporteur: Beverley Roberts, INEE

7. Vocational Training: Training Needed inWar-torn SocietiesKey speaker: Erik Lyby, ILOModerator: Bart Vrojlik, UN Special Office forChildren and Armed ConflictRapporteur: Graham Wood, OckendenInternational

8. Distance Education and ICT: DistanceEducation and the Quality of LearningKey speaker: Stan Goetschalckx, RET/AhadiInstituteModerator: Naomi Lockwood, InternationalExtension CollegeRapporteur: Robin Shawyer, Hugh PilkingtonCharitable Trust

VOCATIONALTRAINING

Vocational trainingand skills trainingshould be seen asan essential part ofa response toemergencies, inparticular foryouth.

It diverts themaway from anti-social activities andgives them thechance to con-tribute to thedevelopment oftheir societies.

INTRODUCTIONhis is the report of the First InternationalSymposium on Post-Primary Education forRefugees and IDPs, held in Geneva 18-19

September 2002 and organised by the RefugeeEducation Trust (RET).

The objectives of the Symposium were to:� Reaffirm the urgent need for more and better

post-primary education for refugees and IDPs

� Exchange information and experience andenhance cooperation

� Improve our knowledge of post-primary edu-cation for refugees and IDPs

� Take stock of good practices and recommendpractical measures

At the heart of the Symposium were eight work-shops. On the first day, four workshops ran con-currently under the theme �access to post-primaryeducation�, while on the second day, the theme ofthe four concurrent workshops was �quality ofpost-primary education�.

The purpose of each workshop was to generatepractical recommendations with the weight ofinternational experts in post-primary educationbehind them. Each workshop opened with a shortaddress by a key speaker, who had already provid-ed a background paper. At the end of the work-shop discussions, rapporteurs submitted theirnotes to the organisers, which formed the basis ofthe reports (see �Workshop Descriptions�).

The workshop themes follow below, with names ofthe key speakers, moderators and rapporteurs:

1. Statistics: Why, What, How?Key speaker: Lynne Bethke, Interworks/Women's Commission for Refugee Women andChildren (WCRWC)Moderator: Julian Watson, IRCRapporteur: Niaz Ahmad, UNHCR Pakistan

2. In Emergencies: The Early Need forEducationKey speaker: Jane Lowicki, WCRWCModerator: Nicole Dagnino, Enfants Réfugiésdu MondeRapporteur: Christine Bloch, JRS

T

" Shahnaz Akhtar was originally chosen as the key speaker forthis workshop but was unable to come. Dorothy Jobolingokindly agreed to take over the role at the last minute.

STATISTICS

Statistics onrefugee and dis-placed populationsare often hard togather.

Unstable, fluid situ-ations furtherexacerbate thisproblem, resultingin an inadequateknowledge of theplight of adoles-cents and youth.

STATISTICS WORKSHOPeeds:We need statistics at all levels (by schools,programme managers and donors) to

effectively advocate, plan implement and report onpost-primary education programmes for refugeesand displaced persons.

In addition to gender-disaggregated data on studentand teacher numbers, we also need both statisticson quality factors (qualifications of teachers, edu-cational resources, and curriculum), as well asinformation on the costs involved.

Currently, we lack a common, unified system thateffectively filters and funnels appropriate informationfrom the field to headquarters level to efficientlycollect and analyse statistics.

Constraints:There is a great variety of education programmesimplemented by various stakeholders (UN, NGOs,governments, etc.) in different emergency situa-tions�with no unified system for collecting infor-mation, nor even agreement on what data shouldbe collected.

Statistics on youth are often misleading, as enrol-ment figures do not directly represent attendance,and the presence of over-aged students can skewresults. Moreover, not all relevant criteria arequantifiable.

Questions:� Is a global database an appropriate mechanism?

� Are global estimates possible, or are detailedregional estimates more desirable?

� Should actors collect a minimum set of statistics?

� Should we require a standard reporting format?

Issues:� Quality of education and information

� Purpose and use of information collection


� Statistics in the recognition of qualificationsacross borders

� Non-formal / vocational training

Good practice:� UNICEF/OLS and Africa Education Trust con-

ducted a school baseline assessment inSouthern Sudan. As a result, there is nowdetailed knowledge of students, teachers andschools that can be used as a model for planningsubsequent interventions.

� The Women's Commission for RefugeeWomen and Children is developing a globaldatabase on education for refugee and internallydisplaced children and youth. It will be widelydistributed through various channels, includingthe Inter-Agency Network on Education inEmergencies.

Recommendations:1. Donors and operational partners should sup-

port the development of standards for assessingpost-primary education for refugees and IDPs.

2. RET, UNHCR, INEE, NGOs, and/or othersshould establish a Standards Committee todevelop standard indicators in post-primaryeducation.

3. RET (and UNHCR) should complete participa-tory/community surveys and analysis of non-formal activities and their impact, to provideinput into decision-making and programmeplanning.

4. Gender should be included in all statistics toascertain and monitor the status of girls.

5. Information on costs should be included in sta-tistics so that programme managers and donorscan assess the relative costs of various methods.

6. Statistics should cover non-formal educationand out-of-school adolescents, as well as for-mal education, so that we can identify theneeds of the huge cohort of refugee youth notgoing to school.

7. We need to develop approximation methods�including sampling�to prevent allocatingexcessive resources to data collection.

8. Statistics from non-education sources can beuseful for supplementing the normal educationsources.

9. Host governments should be encouraged to beinvolved in collecting statistics.

N

EMERGENCIES WORKSHOPeeds: Refugee and IDP adolescents in crisis andemergency situations need education to

help reduce psychological stress and give meaningand hope for the future. Such education can pre-vent social problems and help adolescents avoid(self-) destructive behaviour.

All refugee adolescents, young and old, have theright to post-primary education. They need help tobridge the gap between completing primary schooland making use of post-primary opportunities.

Young refugees in particular, need education thatwill provide them with both marketable skills anda recognized certificate on graduation, or with directlinks to livelihood opportunities and income gener-ation, such as apprenticeships and skills training.

Constraints:Most refugee adolescents have not been able tocomplete primary school, let alone post-primaryeducation. Yet, many are likely to become parentsand heads of households�forced to seek a liveli-hood for themselves and others.

A majority of adolescents cannot afford school fees,or even examination fees. Because parents oftenview schooling as irrelevant or unlikely to lead to areliable income, many adolescents must look forcasual work, or are forced into early marriages.

Questions:� Are we sufficiently fulfilling adolescents' right to

other forms of post-primary education beyondformal secondary schooling?

� In view of limited resources, often directed atformal secondary education, how can we advo-cate for complete adolescents' education rights?

� Should we support youth who have not finishedprimary education? If so, how do we help makethe transition to post-primary education?

� How can existing basic education programmesinclude more adolescents and facilitate theiraccess to post-primary?

� How can we relieve adolescents' economic andsocial burdens that they can continue education?

� How can post-primary education contribute topeace and reconciliation efforts?

Good practice:A minimum of young people should be supportedthrough secondary school because it sets an examplefor others to follow. This could help overcome thenegative attitudes of many rural parents who oftendo not see the economic and social benefits of sec-ondary education, especially in situations where sofew refugees are able to complete it.

The Women's Commission for Refugee Womenand Children (WCRWC) has undertaken a series of


action-oriented field studies with and for adoles-cents in several conflict sites (Kosovo, Uganda,Sierra Leone). WCRWC follows each effort withintensive advocacy work with the young peopleinvolved to improve services and protection, espe-cially regarding education and the situation of girls.

Recommendations:1. The international community and donor agen-

cies should both include coordinated provisionsfor education in both emergency contingencyplanning/preparedness and appeals.

2. NGOs should avail education experts foremergency contingency planning.

3. We should plan emergency education in thecontext of long-term curricula and goals.

4. Actors must recognize the importance of re-establishing educational activities for adoles-cents as early as possible.

5. We must encourage all actors to advocate forthe right to education for adolescents.

6. In the early stages of an emergency, the inter-national community and donor agencies shouldgive priority to conveying essential survivalskills, such as information on health, STIs,HIV/AIDS, and landmine awareness.

7. UN agencies, with the help of NGOs, shouldcarry out assessments of educational resourcesthat consider adolescents' needs.

8. Resources should be identified within the refugeecommunity to start up emergency education.

9. Educational activities should be coordinatedthrough an educational committee that includesall actors, especially refugees themselves.

10. All actors should pay special attention to refugeeadolescents� needs for psychosocial healing andrecreational activities.

11. Donors and operational partners must involverefugee adolescents themselves directly indecision-making processes.

12. To help refugee adolescents catch up, opera-tional partners could introduce acceleratedlearning programmes using condensed materials,arrange flexible class schedules, provide childcarearrangements, and/or give incentives to parents.

13. Recreational activities, sports clubs, studentcouncils and reproductive health workshops canenhance post-primary educational experiencesby promoting youth involvement in communi-ties, leadership development and team building.

14. Teachers should be trained to provide appro-priate education required for emergencies.

15. UN agencies, host governments, INEE andNGOs should gather statistics and researchgood practices and lessons learned with regardto post-primary education in emergencies,including protection and essential survival skills.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Refugee and IDPadolescents areprone to suffersexual and gender-based violence;schools canbecome targets ofwar and venues forabduction; teach-ers may be killedor go missing;available instruc-tors are oftenpoorly trained.

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RETURNEES & RECONSTRUCTIONWORKSHOP

eeds Returnees urgently need schools and edu-cational activities during the process of

repatriation and social integration as they often basetheir repatriation decision on the reconstructionand re-establishment of educational facilities.

Refugee teachers and students need documents toshow their progress through the education cycle.Moreover, returnee students need assistance tocomplete their cycle of education, including thefinal matriculation examinations.

Returnees should be integrated as much as possi-ble, but integration should be monitored so thatthe needs of vulnerable groups such as child sol-diers and trauma victims can be identified andaddressed.

Constraints:The line ministry of the national government isresponsible for the education of returnees but, ingeneral, its capacity is weak: It is both internallymarginalized, and under much pressure.

Tensions may occur in returnee areas when pro-grams do not offer equal support to returnees andnon-returnees. Moreover, sensitive curriculumsubjects such as history, religion, and civic educa-tion can be intensely controversial.

Questions:� How can we adequately design and implement

cross-border programmes?

� Safety of return: what are the issues affectingprotection of vulnerable groups?

� How does the timing of repatriation affect theofficial dates of the school term?

� Should students finish their studies before orafter repatriation?

� What will happen to the educational assets inthe areas of asylum?

Good practice:If possible, the ministries of education of bothcountry of asylum and country of return shouldcollaborate and coordinate their activities duringthe asylum period and while repatriation is beingplanned.

Recommendations:1. Actors should conduct information campaigns

in both asylum areas and areas of return toboth prepare communities for repatriation andto allow refugees to make free and informeddecisions about their return.

2. We must establish a UN or NGO advocate inthe country of return who can speak on behalfof education for refugees to ensure pro-grammes address their needs.


3. The international community, national, regionaland local authorities, and NGOs should coordi-nate their work according to the terms of aMOU developed by the national governmentwith assistance from agencies.

4. Wherever possible, NGOs who provide sec-ondary education to refugees or IDPs shouldcontinue to work with them after return, untildevelopment aid has been organised throughthe regular channels.

5. Area development programmes must be start-ed, which can offer equal support to returneeand non-returnee populations, focusing onmajor return areas and strengthening districteducation capacities.

6. National ministries of education should beencouraged to develop methods to ensure thatstudies completed by teachers and studentswhile in exile are recognized and accepted intheir home country. Such a system must ensurethat home countries recognize work done at alllevels of education, including post-primary andvocational training.

7. Actors should act to integrate returning teach-ers and education officers into their home area.

8. National education plans should include strate-gies for training and paying teachers.

9. Actors should offer special training coursesaddressing psychosocial needs, including diag-nostic tools and referral systems.

10. National ministries of education-with supportfrom appropriate agencies-should develop acurriculum that both is relevant to a post-con-flict/reconstruction situation and addresses theneeds of adolescent returnees and the localpopulation.

11. We should explore and integrate innovativeapproaches such as accelerated learning pro-grammes, life-skills development, HIV/AIDS pre-vention, health education, and peace and humanrights education into educational systems.

12. Actors should use a �mixed� approach of formaland non-formal education, including vocationalskills training.

13. Actors should integrate cultural programmes,including traditions, games, play, and theatre,into educational approaches.

14. For maximum effectiveness, we actors shouldtend toward a holistic and integrated approach,e.g., hiring youth trained in vocational pro-grammes to build schools.

15. Shift systems should be used as necessary toshare limited space at schools.

NO PLACE TOCALL HOME

On return, homecountries often donot recognize edu-cation and trainingobtained in asylumcountries.

In addition, thenumber of teach-ers may not be suf-ficient for the num-ber of students inthe areas of return.

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GENDERWORKSHOP

eeds:We cannot solve the challenge of girls' edu-cation with a single intervention: it requires

a properly planned, holistic approach. Without astrong community base, interventions will neither besustainable, nor will they change attitudes.

Though girls' education would have long-term ben-efits on refugee families, refugee situations oftenwiden the gap in educational access between malesand females. There is a need to actively promoteenrolment and retention of refugee girls in school.

Constraints:A refugee family with limited money may chooseto send only their sons to school. Cultural attitudesoften dictate that girls stay at home to assist withhousehold chores.

Until now, international assistance efforts have pro-vided a fraction of what is required for secondarylevel education. There is a clear need to commitadditional programming and funding for girls andwomen to access necessary education and skills.

Girls drop out of school for many reasons�curric-ula fail to address their needs; attitudes of somemale teachers limit progress; there may be fewfemale teachers and students; gender-based vio-lence and sexual harassment create psychosocialproblems; early motherhood.

Issues:� Quality of education, including teachers

� Gender equity among teachers

� Safety, security and protection of girls both onthe way to, and at, school

� Girl-friendly schools and environments

� Enrolment, attendance, retention and attainment

Good practice:� Some countries have employed gender-focal

persons who, among other things, follow upwith girls who drop out of school to ascertainwhy they are leaving, then make efforts tobring them back. This involves home visits andtalking to parents, community leaders and thegirls themselves.

� UNHCR Uganda has established a special proj-ect to support girls' education by paying board-ing fees in four secondary schools. This boostsgirls' morale and gives them privacy. They canalso devote their full attention to school work,instead of being distracted at home with house-hold duties.

Recommendations:1. Actors should carry out community sensitisa-

tion workshops in all settlements to promotegirl child education, the rights of the girl child


and gender-sensitive approaches and atti-tudes.

2. Parents should be involved in school-relateddecisions.

3. We should actively promote the mother'sinvolvement in literacy/-skills programmesas a way of validating the benefits of educa-tion within the community.

4. We should encourage community-basednursery/pre-school because it offers girls�usually responsible for childcare�the possi-bility to also attend school.

5. Actors should promote the enforcement ofappropriate local legislation.

6. Refugee education programmes should berequired to appoint girl child coordinators tohandle gender issues and coordinate activities.They can also make home visits for counsellingthe girls' families.

7. We should broadcast educational programmesover the radio.

8. Actors should make school schedules flexiblefor girls so that they can join classes after fin-ishing household chores.

9. We must provide life skills and reproductivehealth training (including HIV/AIDS) and dis-tribute sanitary materials to keep girls enrolled.

10. Girls must have proper toilet facilities inschools, separate from those for boys.

11. Schools should appoint senior women teachersto oversee the girl child, help care for herneeds and act as role models.

12. Sports activities, clubs and other out-of-classactivities for girls should be encouraged-forconfidence building, assertiveness and leader-ship training.

13. Actors should apply principles of affirmativeaction when selecting eligible girls for sponsor-ship at post-primary level.

14. We should prioritise training of teachers, espe-cially females.

15. We should address issues of gender, ethics,child rights and child protection in teachertraining curricula.

16. Teachers have fair incentives.

17. Boys and male teachers should be sensitizedabout their roles in supporting girls' educationand how to promote activities that boys andgirls can do together.

18. Schools should provide gender-sensitive and -appropriate resources.

EQUAL ACCESS

The quality ofrefugee educationand the academicperformance ofgirls need improve-ment.

Schools should besensitive to girls'special needs anduse appropriateteaching method-ologies, learningmaterials and rolemodels.

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QUALITYWORKSHOP

eeds: Refugee communities set up self-help sec-ondary schools; we should help to sustain

these initiatives. Schools need additional assistanceand teachers need incentives, training and support.

Reluctant parents need to understand the qualityand value of education before they will send theirchildren to school. Education should be relevant,addressing the needs of the refugee community aswell as of the individual.

Constraints:There is not enough funding from the internationalcommunity for refugee education. In particular,whenever there are budget cuts, post-primaryeducation is usually the first casualty. Refugeesthemselves have little money.

Post-primary education is relatively expensive, andspending more money to improve quality leavesfewer funds for expanding schools and increasingaccess.

There is a constant turnover of refugee teacherswho�after training and obtaining experience inrefugee schools�often leave to take up better-paid jobs with NGOs or in other schools outsidethe camps.

Questions and issues:� There are many elements in the quality of post-

primary education. For quality improvement,where do we start and what are the priorities?

� Are there absolute standards for defining andmeasuring educational quality?

� How do we make a project worth funding andshow the donors they are getting good value?

� Do we educate for present life in the camps orfor the future after repatriation?

� Do we educate for the individual refugee or forthe refugee community?

� Key issues are parents and community, basicneeds and learning environment.

Good practice:� In a refugee-affected area, UNHCR tries to

improve the quality of education for the localpopulation as well as for the refugees in orderto avoid discrepancies and reduce the possibilityof conflict.

� Resource centres connected to a network ofrefugee secondary schools can help share infor-mation and provide resources to the schools forlittle cost. Such centres are most cost effectivewhen they are multi-purpose: they may used asbases for both teacher training and variousother educational and community activities.


Recommendations:1. Actors should establish an education commit-

tee composed of refugees who are qualifiedand experienced in education (e.g., principals,trainers and inspectors) to oversee the educa-tion activities in a camp.

2. Donors may more easily be persuaded to pro-vide support to boost quality if a refugee com-munity can start a school that appears to beself-sustaining.

3. If a refugee community school can achieve cer-tain minimum standards, a host government(or other donor) might start supporting theschool.

4. Actors should set up a board of governors forrefugee secondary schools, consisting of par-ents, teachers and leaders to which the princi-pal is accountable.

5. Actors should open schools to the communityand encourage community members to partic-ipate in school activities.

6. Actors should identify available resources anduse them effectively. Improve outcomes bybetter managing existing resources, therebyreducing the need for additional resources.

7. Refugee motivation is a valuable, cost-effectiveresource that actors can use to improve thequality of education.

8. Income-generating projects should be encour-aged for the sustainability of the school and tocombat dependency.

9. Operational partners should increase incen-tives for refugee teachers and students. Theseincentives may be in-kind.

10. Actors should facilitate coordination betweenoperational partners on issues related to finan-cial incentives given to refugee teachers.

11. We must provide higher incentives to trainedand qualified refugee teachers, or those whooccupy senior positions

12. NGOs and senior teachers should supportinexperienced refugee teachers by providingthem with appropriate mentoring, supervision,and training.

13. We should assist dedicated refugee teachers tojoin a distance education programme thatcould lead to a recognized certificate, as areward for their service.

QUALITY

The percentage ofrefugee and IDPchildren going tosecondary school isvery small.

We need to getmore children intoschool at anacceptable level ofquality throughboth managingexisting resourcesbetter and acquir-ing new resources.

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LIFE SKILLS AND CONFLICTPREVENTION WORKSHOP

eeds:The international community acutelydesires to assist in the peace process, and

is aware that such assistance is essential. Theknowledge and messages conveyed by peace edu-cation and conflict prevention are both urgent andlong-term.

Regular training for teachers and community facili-tators improves the quality and sustainability of theprogramme.

Constraints:When introducing a �peace� programme torefugee and IDP communities, there is a risk ofoffending participants as they often regard them-selves as victims, not aggressors. Moreover, partic-ipants may view modern pedagogical methods asantithetical to community traditions and culture.

There is not enough time to adequately train facili-tators and teachers, especially in an acute emer-gency. Lack of funding in general is another problem.

Actors also encounter the risk of diluting peaceeducation contents and distorting the structure ofthe programme. This is especially the case in set-tings where peace education cannot be provided in afully integrated way, and where educational author-ities resist its introduction as a separate subject.

Questions and issues:

� Peace education and life-skills training are rela-tively new concepts�there is lack of clarityand consensus in their exact definitions.

� How can we adapt school curricula to includeskills for peace building and conflict avoidance/minimisation/management?

� How do we include national authorities fromthe beginning to ensure their support?

� It is important to consult with all sectors of thecommunity, including the host population.

� How do we reach the out of school populationsand include the non-formal education activities?

� How do we reach initial perpetrators of vio-lence?

� Peace education programmes often contain thefollowing elements: concepts, values, skills, andknowledge, including communication, cooper-ation, prejudice reduction, problem solving,negotiation, and mediation.

Good practice:� Encouragement of activities based on indige-

nous knowledge and traditions of peace,including the exchange of traditional stories,sayings and songs that promote respect andtolerance, as well as discussion of approachesto conflict resolution.


� Peer peace mediation has been a successfulpractice in refugee camp schools in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and inKenya. The schools select student mediators towork in teams. As the school year progresses,new students replace the previous ones.

Recommendations:

1. Actors should promote peace programmes incountries of asylum and origin.

2. NGOs and UN agencies should ensure that alllevels and sectors of society are involved in theprocess from the beginning.

3. Programmatic approaches should be appropri-ate and incorporate cultural context.

4. Alternative communication channels should beemployed for delivering messages.

5. NGOs and educational authorities shoulddevelop partnerships that ensure cost-effectiveimplementation and expedite the transfer ofproject ownership to the beneficiaries as quicklyas possible.

6. Because of its beneficial effect on communitybehaviour, behaviour modelling by teachers,school administrators, and NGO workersshould be emphasized in all staff training.

7. Peace-friendly life skills programmes should beintroduced as a pre-service training componentof the curricula of prospective secondaryschool teachers.

8. Peace-related project work should be encour-aged at secondary school.

9. Extra-curricular activities that develop skills forrespectful coexistence and promote peermediation at the secondary-school level shouldbe introduced.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Children in emer-gencies need asupportive envi-ronment, both inand out of school.

A peace educationprogramme shouldhave both a schoolcomponent and acommunity com-ponent that activelyreinforce eachother.

Refugee youth needinteractive andactivity-orientedprogrammes topromote positivebehaviouralchanges and prob-lem-solving skills.

N

VOCATIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOPeeds:Refugees need skills to access productiveemployment and thereby assist in eco-

nomic recovery of post-conflict nations. The morerefugees who possess these skills, the more criseswill tend to stabilize (e.g., if ex-combatants can geta paying job, they no longer need to fight).

Actors must organise specific vocational trainingprogrammes for refugee youth. Youth have highpotential, but can become disenchanted andinvolved with destructive anti-social activities.

The most vulnerable need special attention. For theseverely traumatized, we may need to pair skillstraining with peer counselling or other psychosocialsupport. For disabled refugees, we need to designcourses to meet individual needs and capacities.

Constraints:There are not many chances for refugee or IDPyouth to expand beyond basic education. Formaltraining systems are expensive, under-resourcedand out of date with the actual labour market.

Many poor countries are facing employment crisesand shrinkage of the formal employment sector.Although the informal sector is expanding, manyconsider formal education superior to skills training.

Refugees are often subject to restrictions and limi-tations such as freedom of movement and accessto land and employment. Returnees may find theirproperty destroyed or occupied.

Questions and issues:� How do actors motivate students with aptitudes

for various types of work?

� What is the difference between occupyingyouths and providing serious vocational training?

� How do adults and youths learn differently?

� How can actors better access relevant skills-training programmes?

� Should institutions or enterprises offer voca-tional training?

� During reconstruction, a two-track trainingapproach is often necessary to adequatelyaddress both short term needs and to help buildcapacities to develop a national system.

Good practice:� In Guinea and Sierra Leone, Enfants Réfugiés

du Monde has initiated non-formal and pre-vocational training programmes for older ado-lescent refugees and returnees, respectively.Such programmes promote positive attitudesabout practical skills among youth, who mayalso attend formal school. This type of trainingis useful both in situations where resources arelimited and where a rapid response is neededduring an emergency.


� Vocational training should relate to the market.Ockenden International, in West Nile, Uganda,participated in an overall financial and marketsurvey so that they could weigh the expressedneeds of the displaced against the realities ofthe labour market.

Recommendations:1. RET should call an inter-agency group on voca-

tional skills development.2. Market surveys should be used to introduce

new skills to underdeveloped markets.3. We should assess the viability of income-gener-

ating activities and feed that information intothe process of planning vocational training. Thiscan reduce repetition of courses that offerinappropriate skills.

4. Business skills should be incorporated intovocational training, regardless of the skill.

5. Linkages between vocational skills training andprovision of micro-credit should be increased,so that refugees with skills will have the capitalto apply their trade.

6. Vocational training and employment oremployment creation should be linked, so thatrefugees move from a culture of welfare toself-reliance.

7. Job and training opportunities available aroundrefugee camps and reconstruction areas shouldbe used.

8. Girls and women should be offered vocationaltraining beyond traditional skills.

9. Community-based training (e.g. taking trainersto the displaced in or near their compounds)should be used in some cases. Such training canattract women into programmes and allowthem to continue with daily life.

10. We should cultivate positive attitudes aboutpractical work among refugee youths. Schoolsshould avoid using manual work as punishment.

11. Older refugees should be re-trained for thecurrent market, as skills can be lost.

12. Group-based training should be encouraged inrefugee camps. Such training allows workers toshare tools and equipment, cultivates a spirit ofworking together, and can help integrate dis-abled members.

13. Wherever possible, disabled refugees shouldnot be assigned to special programmes.Instead, we should integrate them into otherappropriate vocational training programmes.

14. Basic life skills training (e.g., landmine aware-ness, health and conflict resolution) should beintegrated into vocational training for refugeeswho need it.

16. Asylum and post-conflict nations should beassisted to improve curricula and proceduresfor validating/certifying relevant vocational/skills training, as well as systems to validatenon-formal and informal competence.

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ON THE JOBTRAINING

Enterprise-basedtraining, or appren-ticeships, are themost recommend-ed method of skillsacquisition.

In the course oftheir work,trainees areexposed to realconstraints facedwithin a smallenterprise, thetraining is verypractical and theproducts will haveto be sold.


materials, and prompt marking of exerciseswith feedback. This has controlled the attritionrate often associated with other distance edu-cation programmes. About 2,000 refugeeshave completed the course in Mtabila Campwhere there is a resource centre providingbooks and a place to study.

� Ahadi Institute is a community-based initiativefor secondary and post-secondary education. Ithas developed programmes adapted to therefugee situation, by creation of study centresin Tanzania, Congo, Burundi, and Kenya.Through distance learning and contacts withdifferent partner universities and institutes inEurope, USA, and Africa, students may accessprogrammes for higher education. ICT is usedat different levels: high for communication ofthe Ahadi coordination centre with universities;medium for communication between Ahadiand the districts where refugee camps arelocated; low at the level of study centres in thecamps. At this level, the classic �printed syllabus,paper and pen� are still the main instruments.About 1,000 students are presently studyingpost-secondary courses through Ahadi andwith the opening of Internet centres in andaround the camps, further development isexpected.

Recommendations:1. Distance education should embrace a combina-

tion of methods that include face-to-face inter-action as an important component.

2. A central (regional) resource centre should becreated as a base for training refugee teachers,backed up by a network of sub-centres con-sisting of a service centre in each district and aninformation centre in each camp.

3. Students and the general community should beencouraged to use camp centres for learningand research purposes.

4. Agencies (UN and others) should negotiatewith host governments to make existingnational distance education facilities accessibleto refugees.

5. Host and home country ministries of educationand other actors should establish systems tocertify distance learning.

6. RET and other actors should seek to developinnovative partnerships, especially with the pri-vate sector.

7. INEE and RET should set up a task team toexplore relevant sustainable solutions and dis-seminate them. !

DISTANCE EDUCATION WORKSHOPeeds:Refugee youth often have a great hungerfor education. Sensing a connection

between their refugee areas and other places helpsthem feel part of the globalised world.

We need to improve the quality of refugee educa-tion, especially for the post-primary levels.Refugees should benefit more from the world'sresources. We can channel these through distanceeducation and ICT.

Older children�especially girls�need flexiblelearning schedules that they can combine withother activities. A sense of their being responsiblefor their own learning can help improve refugeesfeel more empowered and motivated.

Constraints:Refugees have very limited access to quality post-primary education. Moreover, host governmentsmay have various regulations that might furtherrestrict refugees' access or hinder the use of ICTs.

The humanitarian community is largely unaware ofeducational projects that have successfully inte-grated ICTs in develop countries and communities.Many are sceptical about their feasibility, relevanceand sustainability in refugee situations.

In general, providers lack resources and fundingfor refugee post-primary education. In particular,they lack necessities such as electricity, powersources, telecommunications access, skills, rele-vant course material and rugged hardware.

Questions:� How do we reach the many refugees not in

school? Is distance education the answer?

� Training of refugee teachers is a priority. Howwe organise trainings when refugee schools aregeographically scattered?

� How can we realistically apply ICTs to helpimprove the quality of refugee post-primaryeducation, either through distance educationor conventional education?

� How can we validate the education ofrefugees? Certificates are important for moti-vating refugees and opening up possibilities foremployment and further education.

Good practice:� The Southern Africa Extension Unit (SAEU) has

developed an English course in eight modulesfor Burundi refugees in Tanzania. The materialsare equivalent to British 'O' levels and wereprepared in collaboration with the refugeesthemselves. The course is taught through acombination of media: printed books, audio-cassette tapes and face-to-face tuition. A reli-able student support service exists: well-facili-tated, face-to-face tuition, ample learning

BRIDGING THEGAP

Distance educationand ICT offermajor opportuni-ties for the effec-tive delivery ofpost-primary edu-cation and trainingin refugee con-texts.

The challenge is tofind a middle wayof being innovativeand remainingpragmatic, therebybridging the �digitaldivide�.

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WORKSHOP SPEAKERSSTATISTICSLynne BethkeE-mail [email protected]

Lynne Bethke is a member of InterWorks, whichprovides customized training, distance learning andconsulting services to international humanitarianorganizations responding to natural and man-madeemergencies. Her current work is focused on TheGlobal Survey on Education in Emergencies�aproject of the Women's Commission for RefugeeWomen and Children. It is aimed at understandingin more detail the nature and scope of educationthat is provided to refugee and internally displacedchildren during an emergency. Information is beingcollected from United Nations agencies and inter-national and local non-governmental organizationsand compiled in a database for further analysis.

Ms. Bethke has developed training materials andfacilitated workshops related to refugee emer-gency management and organizational develop-ment for United Nations and government organi-zations. She has also designed web-based distancelearning courses and written material related torefugee education and training, migration manage-ment, monitoring and evaluation, and reintegrationof war-affected populations.

EMERGENCIESJane LowickiE-mail: [email protected]

Jane D. Lowicki is the Senior Coordinator of theChildren and Adolescents Project at the Women'sCommission for Refugee Women and Childrenwhere she works to build an international campaignto increase services and protection to adolescentsaffected by armed conflict. Author of UntappedPotential: Adolescents Affected by Armed Conflict,a review of programs and policies, she has direct-ed 3 participatory studies with adolescents�inKosovo, northern Uganda and Sierra Leone. Eachof these has been followed by intensive advocacywork with young people to improve services andprotection for adolescents, especially educationfor girls. She plans a study with Burmese refugeeadolescents in Thailand beginning in January 2003.In her earlier books, We Can Help Each Other andWidening the Circle, she explored concepts andexperiences of adolescents speaking out for theirown needs and interests, drawing on her work oforganizing a global youth advocacy network withthe World Council of Churches. She has writtennumerous articles on immigration and refugeeissues, as well as women's and children's rights.

Ms. Lowicki is a graduate of Cornell University, inGovernment, International Relations and Women'sStudies and studied Politics, History and Law at theUniversity of Edinburgh.


RETURNEES & RECONSTRUCTIONChristopher TalbotE-mail: [email protected]

Since March 2002, Christopher Talbot has beenworking at UNESCO's International Institute forEducational Planning (IIEP), in Paris. He is part of ateam responsible for a project whose aim to carryout case studies of education in emergencies and insituations of reconstruction and to develop a guide-book and training materials for officials of educationministries and agencies working with them.

From 2000�2002, he was UNHCR's SeniorEducation Officer. Together with colleagues fromUNESCO, UNICEF and many non-governmentorganizations, Mr. Talbot participated in the launchof the Inter-Agency Network for Education inEmergencies (INEE).

From 1993�2000, Mr. Talbot worked for UNHCRto raise the awareness of non-refugee youth aboutrefugee issues, and on environmental policy andeducation in refugee camps and settlements.

He taught in Australian and French high schools for17 years. He also worked in curriculum develop-ment and teacher training, focusing on educationfor peace, human rights, environmental and devel-opment education.

GENDERDorothy Mabel Jobolingo(Replaced Ms. Akhtar as the key speaker)E-mail: [email protected]

Dorothy Mabel Jobolingo is currently working asEducation Officer for UNHCR in Kampala,Uganda, where she plans and manages the educa-tion program in all refugee settlements, includingsupport and monitoring of the work of implement-ing partners. She works to make refugee educationprograms sustainable within the national educationsystem and to develop community-based educa-tion mechanisms including skills and vocationaltraining. The Education Program also promotesteacher training, especially for women; girls' edu-cation; peace education and conflict resolution.

Ms. Jobolingo has worked as a teacher in publicschools, in teachers' college/university, as educa-tion officer in Zimbabwean government programs,and for UNFPA and UNESCO in a ReproductiveHealth/Population Education project for youth.She has written training manuals for HIV/AIDS andfor gender, as well as school textbooks used inZimbabwe.

She earned the Master of Human Ecology degreefrom Mount Vincent University, Halifax, NovaScotia (Canada) and the Bachelor of Educationfrom the University of Zimbabwe in Harare.

�I was very pleasedto participate inthe symposium. Iknew many col-leagues from manycountries andagencies.�

� Governmentofficial

QUALITYTim BrownE-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Timothy Brown is currently Education Officer forthe Refugee Education Trust at UNHCR in Geneva.He helped establish the independent Trust inDecember 2000 on the occasion of the 50thAnniversary of UNHCR by carrying out a feasibilitystudy and authoring the blueprint documents. Hereceived his B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics (1971) and Ph.D.in Mathematics (1978) in London, United Kingdom.

Dr. Brown has spent over 20 years in Africa in thefield of education�as a lecturer, teacher trainerand education officer. He was associate professorat the University of Juba in Southern Sudan, seniorlecturer at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, andeducation adviser for UNHCR in Uganda.

Recently, Dr. Brown has carried out some researchon improving quality and attainment in refugeeschools. This work has been published by UNHCRin the book Learning for a Future: RefugeeEducation in Developing Countries.

LIFE SKILLS AND CONFLICTPREVENTIONOscar Nkulu KabuyaE-mail: [email protected]

Oscar Nkulu has worked as UNHCR peace educa-tion adviser for the Democratic Republic of Congosince April 2001. He plans, organises, executes andmonitors teachers' and community facilitators'training in peace education. He regularly con-tributes to the magazine Peacemaker, published byUNHCR in Nairobi.

In addition to the work in peace education, Dr.Nkulu has trained and managed teacher training innumerous institutions and settings across the DRCas well as consulting, designing course materials,teaching and evaluating, specializing in the field ofEnglish language teaching.

He earned the Ph.D. from the University of York,UK, in language and linguistics, and pursuedadvanced studies in educational management andlinguistics at the Universities of Lancaster, Leeds,Newcastle-on-Tyne, Kent, all in the UK, after com-pleting his undergraduate work in pedagogy inKinshasa and Lubumbashi.

VOCATIONAL TRAININGEric LybyE-mail: [email protected]

Eric Lyby is author of a case study on vocationaltraining for refugees in Tanzania in Learning for afuture: Refugee education in developing countries(UNHCR, 2000�available on UNHCR website).He works currently with the International LabourOffice (ILO) as senior reconstruction specialist in


the InFocus programme on crisis response andreconstruction. He is particularly occupied withthe ILO's assistance to job creation in the recoveryand reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Mr. Lyby holds a B.Sc. in Architecture and CivilEngineering (1965) and an MA in SocialAnthropology (1982) both from AarhusPolytechnic in Denmark.

He went to Zambia as a bilateral volunteer in1969, took up the study of social anthropology in1972 and spent the next ten years studying andteaching, including two years field research inBotswana in preparation for his thesis on labourmigration in Southern Africa. From 1984�1992, heworked for the ILO on program for the creation ofemployment for the unskilled in developing coun-tries through the use of labour-intensive technolo-gies. Most of his work in more than 25 countrieshas been related to human resource developmentand job creation for the poor, with special empha-sis on vocational education and training systems asthe entrance to a changing labour market.

DISTANCE EDUCATIONStan GoetschalckxE-mail: [email protected]

Brother Stan Goetschalckx is currently RET's repre-sentative in Tanzania, where he is responsible for theco-ordination of post-primary education projectsimplemented by several international and localNGO's. As a member of the Brothers of Charity, hehas worked in secondary and post-secondary educa-tion in the African Great Lakes Region for 24 years.

Since 1993, he was invited to develop post-pri-mary education for Burundian refugees in Rwanda(1993�94). He continued these activities in ex-Zaire from 1994 to 1996 for Rwandan andBurundian refugees.

Since 1996 in Tanzania he continues his work forthe education of refugees and local youth.

In 1997, he created �AHADI institute Kigoma�, asa local branch of the International Institute forDistance Learning, offering tertiary level programsthrough distance learning to underprivileged stu-dents in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. A spe-cific group of beneficiaries are the numerous youth�confined� to live in refugee-camps.

Rooted inside the refugee-communities, and in aspirit of partnership, Brother Goetschalckx hasbeen able to contribute to the creation of self-help-schools at secondary level. With his team hehas developed a community-based approach forimproving quality of education, and has been ableto obtain official certification from the home coun-try (national exams for secondary education A-level from RDC) for the refugees in the camp. !

�It was a greatopportunity tomeet wide rangeof persons involvedin education inemergencies;mix-ture of practition-ers, UN and NGOrepresentatives.�

� United Nationsofficial

PARTICIPANTS LIST


Bijleveld, Mr. Anne-WillemUNHCR, [email protected]

Bitamazire, Mr. JuliusInternational Aid Sweden, [email protected]

Bloch, Ms. ChristineJesuit Refugee [email protected]

Borsinger, Mr. NicolasPro Victimis, [email protected]

Brown, Mr. TimRefugee Education Trust, [email protected], [email protected]

Bruce, Ms. FlorenceOak Foundation, Switzerland

Bugera, Mr. BarnabéTanganyika Christian Refugee Service, [email protected]

Calhoun, Mr. NoëlUNHCR, [email protected]

Carton, Prof. MichelInstitut Universitaire d'Etudes du Développement, [email protected]

Castellino, Mr. MarkADRA, [email protected]

D'Ansembourg, Mr. BenoitConsultant/Researcher ICT for Development, [email protected]

Dalen, Ms. ToneUNHCR, Switzerland

Delrue, Mr. TomRefugee Education Trust, [email protected]

Demole, Mrs. FrançoiseRefugee Education Trust Council, Switzerland

Adam, H.E. Mr. MichelPermanent Mission of Belgium to the UnitedNations and International Organisations,[email protected]

Ahmad, Mr. NiazUNHCR, [email protected]

Ajal, Mr. Majur BaburSheikh Lutfi School for Displaced, [email protected]

Asavapisit, H.E. Ms. PuangratPermanent Representative of Thailand to theWorld Trade Organization, Switzerland

Askarian, Mr. BabakMuslim Hope c/o United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), [email protected]

Avery, Ms. AnnRefugee Education Trust, [email protected], [email protected]

Bahram, Ms. KhadijaInternational Rescue Committee [email protected], [email protected],[email protected]

Baxter, Ms. PamelaUNHCR, Switzerlandbaxter @unhcr.ch

Benavides Cotes, Ms. Fulvia ElviraPermanent Mission of Colombia to the UnitedNations, [email protected]

Besharat, Ms. ShabnamUNHCR, [email protected]

Bethke, Ms. LynneInterworks/Women's Commission for RefugeeWomen & Children, [email protected]

Biaggio, Ms. GiordanaFormerly Terre des Hommes, [email protected]

�Thank you forthinking about howto raise the qualityand quantity ofsecondary educa-tion forrefugees��

� Refugee anddirector of aschool in Tanzania

Drost, Ms. NancyCARE, [email protected]

Drzewinski, Ms. PiaKyodo News, [email protected]

Ebsen, Mrs. SilkeMedia Action International (MAI), Switzerland

El Tohami, Mr. Yasin MohamedRefugees in SudanCommission for Refugees, Sudan

El Yamany, Ms. ZeinabUNHCR, [email protected]

Ericsson, Ms. RositaMedia Action International (MAI), [email protected]

Francisco, Ms. EsmeraldaUNHCR, Switzerland

Fujii, Mr. YasushiKyodo News, [email protected]

Futrakul, H. E. Mr. VirasakdiPermanent Mission of Thailand to the UnitedNations, [email protected]

Gedalof, Mr. EddieUNHCR, Switzerland

Goetschalckx, Brother StanInstitut Ahadi Kigoma, [email protected]

Greenland, Mr. JeremyAga Khan Foundation, Switzerlandjeremy.greenland @akdn.ch

Harrison, Mr. MsekeMinistry of Home Affairs, [email protected]

Hamrol-Bedogni, Mr. DanielUNESCO, [email protected]

Hanley, Ms. SheenaEducation International, [email protected]

Hayashi, Ms. MakikoUniversity of Sacred Heart, [email protected]

Hernández-Basave, Mr. ArturoPermanent Mission of Mexico to the UnitedNations, Switzerland [email protected]

Jobolingo, Ms. DorothyUNHCR, [email protected]


Jonker, Mr. BerendWorld University Service, United [email protected]

Juma, Mr. Jaafar K.University of Juba, Department of Statistics andDemography, Sudan

Kavakure, Mr. LaurentUBUNTU-ACTION, [email protected]

Kawesrinaom, Mr. PrasitThai TV Channel 9, Thailand

Khosla, Ms. GeetarjaleeUNHCR, [email protected], [email protected]

Koide, Ms. SakikoUniversity of Sacred Heart, [email protected]

Krishnamra, Mr. NadhavathnaPermanent Mission of Thailand to the UnitedNations, [email protected], [email protected]

Kunii, Ms. MikikoUniversity of Sacred Heart, [email protected]

Lange, Ms. EllenNorwegian Ministry of Education and [email protected]

Lindvall, Mr. MikaelPermanent Mission of Sweden to the UnitedNations, Switzerland

Lo Castro, Ms. LauraUNHCR, [email protected]

Lockwood, Ms. NaomiInternational Extension College, United [email protected], [email protected]

López-Anselme, Mrs. MarinaRefugee Education Trust, Switzerland

Lowicki, Ms. JaneWomen�s Commission for Refugee Women andChildren, [email protected],[email protected]

Lutke, Mr. PauloADRA, [email protected]

Lyby, Mr. ErikInternational, Labour Organization (ILO),Switzerland [email protected]

Lynch, Ms. PaulaPermanent Mission of the United States to theUnited Nations, Switzerland

��Hoping thatRET efforts will berecognise by thosewhose inputs willmake postprimaryeducation forrefugees a dreamnot beyond theirreach.�

- United Nations official

Maier, Mr. GeraldADRA, [email protected]

Mangwa, Mr. MauridiAhadi Institute Kigoma, [email protected]. tz

Mannaert, Mr. RemiRefugee Education Trust, [email protected]

Marjon, Ms. KamaraUNHCR Switzerland

Maurer, Prof. Jean-LucInstitut Universitaire d'Etudes du Développement(IUED), Switzerland

Mazer, Ms. AngelaSchool for International Training, [email protected]

Meredith, Ms. [email protected]

Midttun, Ms. EldridNorwegian Refugee Council, [email protected]

Miller, Mr. JonathanIRC, [email protected]

Mujawaha, Ms. MarcienneUbuntu-Action, Switzerland

Mukami, Ms. LucyWindle Charitable Trust, [email protected], [email protected]

Mukantawali, Ms. AgnesUNHCR


Mulla, Mr. RichardSouth Sudanese Community Association (UK),United [email protected]

Nahayo, Mr. AdolphePermanent Mission of Burundi, [email protected],[email protected]

Ndifonka, Mr. NdeUniversity of Wits, South [email protected]

Ndudi, Mr. PhasiRefugee Education Trust, BelgiumPhasi@r-e-t,com, [email protected]

Nishihara, Mr. NobuakiJapan Teachers Union, [email protected]

Nkulu, Mr. Kabuya OscarUNHCR, [email protected]

Nonsrichai, H.E. JullapongRoyal Thai Embassy, Switzerland [email protected]

Norton, Ms. LesliePermanent Mission of Canada, [email protected]

Ntabona, Mr. VenantUniversité Stendhal Grenoble 3, [email protected]

Obi, Ms. NaokoUNHCR, [email protected]

�� It is essentialthat we see thateducation does notrestrict itself toearning a liveli-hood.�

� United Nations official

Okimba, Ms. Marie AntoinetteUNHCR, Democratic Republic of Congo

Ortiz, Ms. ClaudiaRefugee Education Trust, Switzerland

Ozaki, Ms. YuiUniversity of the Scared Heart, [email protected]

Pearson, Ms. KristineFreeplay Foundation, United [email protected],[email protected]

Petraitis, Mr. DavidSwitzerland

Pibulnakarintr, Mr. Khunying ArayaH.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's PersonalAffairs Division, Thailand

Pongpanpanu, Mr. WerachatThai TV Channel 9, Thailand

Rask, Ms. HelenUNHCR, Switzerland

Reculeau, Ms. DelphineRotary Center for International Studies in Peaceand Conflict ResolutionTransatlantic Internet/Multimedia SeminarSoutheastern Europe (TIMSSE)[email protected]

Regazzoni, Mr. MatthieuANDAS - Suisse, [email protected]

Roberts, Ms. BevINEE / UNESCO ED/EPS, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected]

Rodovnichenko, Ms. VictoriaUNHCR, [email protected]

Saichuea, Mrs. YupadeeThai TV Channel 9, Thailand

Sayers, Ms. HelenLiving Values: An Educational Program, [email protected]

Scarboro, Mrs. [email protected]

Schell-Faucon, Ms. StephanieGTZ, [email protected]

Shah, Mr. Sayyed JonaidGTZ - BEFARE, [email protected]

Shawyer, Mr. RobinHugh Pilkington Charitable Trust, United [email protected]


Sriyabhandha, Colonel VisnuRoyal Thai Embassy, France

Talbot, Mr. ChristopherUNESCO/IIEP, [email protected]

Tanvir, Mr. Awan AhmadGTZ-BEFARE, [email protected]

Tawil, Mr. SobhiInternational Bureau of Education, [email protected]

Teichler, Ms. Yoko

Temporal, Ms. NemiaUNHCR, [email protected]

Thonhauser, Ms. TanjaUNHCR, Switzerland

Tylka, Ms. RosemaryUNRWA, [email protected]

Vallat, Mr. FrédéricBearingPoint SA, [email protected]

Van Erps, Mr. JanRefugee Education Trust, [email protected]

Verstraelen, Mrs. LeenMedecins Sans Frontières, [email protected],leen @clubinternetk.com

Villumstad, Ms. Birgit HeimdalNorwegian Church Aid, [email protected]

Vrolijk, Mr. BarUnited Nations, [email protected]

Watson, Mr. JulianInternational Rescue Committee, [email protected]

Wyrsch, Ms. Mary AnnUNHCR, Switzerland

Yamazaki, Prof. MinakoUniversity of the Sacred Heart, [email protected]

Yousefzadeh, Ms. SepidehOckenden International, [email protected]

Zadran, Ms. HelayInternational Rescue Committee, [email protected], [email protected] !

�It is nevertheless agreat beginning.There is so muchto be done. It is agreat privilege tobe part of the sym-posium, Keep usposted and welook forward toseeing you again.�

� Governmentofficial

refugee education trust - humanitarian library · refugee education trust: first symposium on...

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