The Government of Uganda, Partners in Development, UN agencies and NGOs have launched a new Plan that if funded will provide quality education for hundreds of thousands of refugee and host community children in Uganda.

The Education Response Plan (ERP) is the first of its kind worldwide and represents a huge policy step forward for refugee education globally.

It sets out exactly how to address a crisis where more than half a million children are out of school. 57% of refugee children in Uganda (at least 353,000) and 34% of local children in refugee-hosting districts (around 171,000) do not have access to education[i].

Uganda hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa, and is one of the top refugee-hosting countries worldwide. The Plan, which was developed within the framework of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) recently adopted by all nation states, confirms Uganda’s leading global role.

At country level, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Ministry of Local Government, with UNHCR playing a catalytic role, coordinates implementation of the Framework[ii]. 
More refugees continue to arrive daily, with most fleeing from extreme violence in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and other conflict-affected countries. More than 130,000 have arrived this year alone, and at least 61% are children under the age of 18.

The influx is putting a severe strain on already limited school resources in local communities. Many classrooms have no walls or electricity and lacking latrines and basic sanitation facilities that are needed to accommodate so many children safely and with dignity. There is also a drastic shortage of teachers and basic materials such as books and desks.  

The Hon. Janet K. Museveni, the First Lady of Uganda and Minister of Education and Sports, said: “This is a children’s crisis. None of these children chose to become a refugee, but they have had their lives ripped apart. Now we must give them the chance of a future. “Education is hope. It brings a sense of normalcy to their lives ravaged by war and suffering. It protects them and helps them cope with their difficult situation, and builds a foundation from which they can reach their potential. Education is vital if we are to break the vulnerability created by conflict and displacement. “We are committed to helping these children, but now Uganda needs support to make this Plan a reality. Together we can and must ensure that all children get the opportunity to access inclusive, quality education at all levels.”

The ERP has been developed by the Ministry of Education and Sports, with support from international donors, UN agencies and development organisations in Uganda.

“Enabel welcomes the Education Response Plan, and has worked together with the Ministry of Education and other partners in its development, as member of the steering committee. The ERP will give an opportunity to refugee children to attain education and skills development, which will empower them and help shape their future and that of their nations of origin,” said Niels De Block, International Skills Development Expert at Enabel.

Enabel is already contributing to the provision of education for refugees and host communities in Uganda through the Support Programme for Refugee Settlements in Uganda (SPRS-NU). Funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund, through SPRS-NU Enabel runs programmes that equip youth, women and girls with employable skills that can enable them get employment or create their own jobs. This year alone, 1,480 youth are benefiting from the programme.

The Government of Uganda has been serving as a model example in the international community by granting refugees asylum and access to the same rights as its citizens. However, more support is urgently needed from the international community to ensure the Plan can be implemented.

The Plan has been developed to align closely with Uganda’s Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) for 2017-2020. It aims to improve access to and quality of learning across all forms of education in Uganda’s 12 refugee-hosting districts, through activities including: -      Constructing new classrooms and repair existing ones in order to make schools safer and more accessible – for example - so that children with disabilities can attend; -      Providing essential materials such as textbooks, desks and stationery; -      Addressing teacher gaps and capacity to deliver quality education to refugees and host community learners; -      Strengthening the national and district level education system for effective and sustainable service delivery; -      Getting older youth who had dropped out of school back into education, through Accelerated Education Programmes and vocational training; and -      Piloting innovations in education.    
[i] Figures for refugees are available for 8 of the 12 refugee hosting districts.   [ii]The Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) was adopted by all 193 Member States of the United Nations in September 2016 as part of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants.