Crisis-sensitive planning and the multiple pathways toward refugee inclusion in national education systems

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

This session explores work and reflections on how to advance the inclusion agenda. Based on collaboration between IIEP-UNESCO and UNHCR, the session aims to highlight key planning implications of the multiple pathways for the inclusion of refugees in national education systems.

The potential benefits of including refugees in national education systems are numerous and diverse. Inclusion can improve sustainability by avoiding parallel education service delivery, increase access to accredited public education and post-secondary opportunities, enhance social cohesion, and lead to higher quality education for host and refugee communities alike. Following a global push for the inclusion of refugees in national education systems, including through the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), governments have started taking steps to turn their commitments into reality at national levels. In the East Africa region in particular, momentum toward greater inclusion has been galvanised by commitments through the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), such as through the Djibouti Declaration, which calls for the inclusion of refugees in national education policies, strategies, programmes, and plans of action.

The first presentation, from UNHCR’s Jennie Taylor, provides a broad framing of the inclusion agenda at international level, touching on key milestones such as the GCR and the CRRF. With a particular focus on the East African context, it also explores the impact of regional commitments such as IGAD’s Djibouti Declaration.

The second presentation, from UNHCR’s Cirenia Chavez Villegas, takes a closer look at the state of refugee education data and challenges. It explores the state of refugee education data, based on recent UNHCR reports and information. It also identifies existing gaps and challenges, and practices from country examples to improve data collection and use at both national and international levels.

The third presentation, from IIEP-UNESCO’s Fabricia Devignes, provides a broad framing of gender and the inclusion agenda, and presents IIEP’s analysis as part of its "Gender at the Center Initiative" (GCI). The analysis focuses on gender issues in contexts of forced displacement, and includes policy recommendations to address gender-specific education needs.

A final presentation, from IIEP-UNESCO’s Leonora MacEwen, takes a closer look at the planning implications of including refugees into national education systems, drawing on lessons learned in supporting MoEs as they implement the inclusion agenda.

Sub Unit

• Education, Conflict, and Emergencies SIG

Chair

• Rebecca Telford, UNHCR

Individual Presentations

• Framing the inclusion agenda: Focus on East Africa - Jennie Taylor, UNHCR

• Data and the inclusion agenda - Cirenia Chavez, UNHCR

• Planning for the inclusion agenda - Leonora MacEwen, UNESCO IIEP

• Crisis-sensitive planning and the gender perspective - Sally ROSSCORNES, UNESCO IIEP PDK

Discussant

• Suzanne Grant Lewis, Education.org