Harnessing the intersections of child protection and education in emergencies for improved learning outcomes

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Children affected by emergencies are amongst the least likely children in the world to access education opportunities. UNHCR estimates that only 61 percent of refugee children have access to primary education compared with a global average of more than 90 percent. The gap widens as these children become older, with only 22 percent of refugee adolescents attending secondary school compared to a global average of 84 percent (UNHCR). These dismal figures are compounded by the fact that the world is witnessing the highest levels of human displacement on record. An unprecedented 68.5 million people around the world have been forced from their homes. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees seeking protection from violence or persecution—half of whom are school-aged children under the age of 18 (UNHCR). In their new countries, millions of children are missing out on basic services, including education.
• At least 3.5 million refugee children around the world are currently out of school,
• Refugee children are five times less likely to attend school than other children
• With the average displacement lasting 17 years, an entire generation is losing out on their childhood and the ability to reach their full potential.
As the gap between those who access education and those who do not grows in our highly stratified global economy, it becomes increasingly imperative to ensure that children who have experienced crisis have access to learning opportunities as well as to the psychosocial support they need following trauma. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that child protection and education programming work in sync to increase children’s cognitive skills as well as their capacity to manage stress and build resilience.
This panel will explore the following key questions:
1. How can practitioners best ensure that children gain lifelong skills and competencies during each phase of an emergency response, and how can we improve teachers' and counselors' capacity in times of crisis?
2. What tools will allow us to refine our program designs and allow for rapid feedback loops to improve implementation?
3. What strengths and weaknesses have programs that integrate child protection and education in emergency response demonstrated, and what lessons can we incorporate into our programming to improve learning outcomes?
4. What are new, innovative approaches to integrating child protection and education in an emergency response and what is the evidence to date about these approaches?

Sub Unit

• SIG: Education, Conflict, and Emergencies

Individual Presentations

• Integrating Child Friendly Spaces and Learning Opportunities in Emergency First Response - Sarah Press, Save the Children

• Contextualizing Holistic Play-Based Early Learning and Child Protection Interventions for Rohingya Refugees in Cox’s Bazar - Devon McLorg, BRAC USA

• Incorporating Rapid Education Risk Analysis into Emergency Response Programs - Ashley Henderson, US Agency for International Development (USAID)

Discussant

• Dana Burde, New York University