According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refuges report 3.7 million refugee children are out of school.

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The gains in educational enrolment revealed in this year’s UNHCR report on refugees and education, small as they are in percentage terms, still represent life-changing opportunities for tens of thousands of refugee children, adolescents and youth.

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Refugee enrolment in primary school is up from 61 to 63 per cent, while secondary level enrolment has risen from 23 to 24 per cent..  There has been a rise in the numbers of refugees accessing higher education to from 1 to 3 per cent.

 

Of the 19.9 million refugees under our care, 7.4 million are of school age. Their access to education is limited, with 4 million unable to attend school.

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The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants pinpoints education as a critical element of the international refugee response. Furthermore, Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to deliver “inclusive and quality education for all and to promote lifelong learning”.

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UNHCR partners with governments and international organisations to ensure quality protective education for refugee children and young people everywhere. Together with your help, they can learn how to rebuild their lives.

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Education is a basic human right, enshrined in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1951 Refugee Convention.

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Education protects refugee children and youth from forced recruitment into armed groups, child labour, sexual exploitation and child marriage. Education also strengthens community resilience.

Education empowers by giving refugees the knowledge and skills to live productive, fulfilling and independent lives.

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Education enlightens refugees, enabling them to learn about themselves and the world around them, while striving to rebuild their lives and communities.