Giving Tuesday - The Gap in Education
“Education is the one thing that no one can take from you” – B.B. King
Education changes lives for the better. With all that can be taken in a person’s life, education is the one thing that a person can hold within themselves, no matter the environment. It is a fundamental right of refugees around the world, per the 1951 Refugee Convention, but many find themselves lacking resources to benefit from this sovereign right. With increasing conflict and crisis, the global community faces many challenges in providing quality education to those who have experienced displacement. This lack of access to schools can undermine a person’s potential for a successful future, not due to lack of talent, but lack of resources and opportunity.
The landscape for change
According to UNHCR for the 2019-2020 period, secondary education level enrollment for refugees stood at only 37%, trailing drastically behind that of children born in the host community, as well as only 6% for higher education. Additionally, UNHCR pointed out in their report that the COVID-19 pandemic created additional obstacles for young refugees and asylum seekers who already had to face obstacles when attempting to gain access to schools throughout their learning careers.
Glocally Connected experienced this first hand as well. In 2019, Glocally Connected was able to help fund and facilitate enrollment, transportation, and supplies – like notebooks, writing utensils, and shoes – for children of a refugee settlement outside of Izmir, Turkiye. This huge accomplishment was then met with the same challenges of pandemic-era learning, resulting in many children being forced to return to their labor jobs in agricultural fields, much to their dismay. In terms of higher education, the pandemic heightened economic instability, causing many older students to need to direct their focus elsewhere instead of working to pay for a college program.
On one hand, these barriers to equal education arise from internal situations and the inherent consequences that come with the refugee experience. On the other hand, educational policies must work harder to be more inclusive of refugee children around the world and help to provide the resources necessary for an equitable learning experience.
When conflict ensues in a given area, education systems can get left behind in dealing with a greater matter at hand. In the case of Syria, in 2009, 94% of Syrian children of school-age were enrolled and attending primary and lower secondary education. This number fell to only 60% in 2016 after violence had ensued around the country, leaving 2.1 million children without access to education. Enrollment for refugee girls is even less likely, with many only receiving a few years of formal schooling.
How does education benefit refugees and asylum seekers?
Protection
Education reduces the risks of dangerous situations such as forced labor, recruitment, exploitation, and child marriage, among other negative consequences that can come with lack of access to education.
Provides a safe space for refugee children to learn and connect with others within the normality of a classroom setting, helping to prepare for the future and recover from the effects of trauma.
Community Building
Education helps to strengthen ties between community members and equips refugees with knowledge and skills that will help bring long-term solutions and a brighter future when working with others.
Empowerment
Education is the ultimate tool to empower a person and build self-confidence. It allows refugees to become more self-sufficient in rebuilding their lives and communities after migration and is a key skill in escaping the harsh reality of living in poverty that so many refugees face.
Bringing children into an educational environment early on offers a basis that will require less support later on in life. Longer educational careers prepare refugees for more skilled-jobs, lower unemployment rates, and above-average incomes, while also having strong positive social effects.
How do we help make a change?
Investing in refugee education has far-reaching benefits for individuals and society around them. Think about what your education has brought to your own life and imagine the effects if you did not have the same accessibility to this invaluable resource.
This year for Giving Tuesday, we are working to provide scholarships to two refugee girls whom Glocally Connected has formed a strong bond with over the past few years. These girls have worked tirelessly to be able to get accepted into their University programs since their childhood as migrants. Unfortunately, their careers as students have come to a glaring halt due to their inability to pay for the University programs they have worked so hard to be admitted to. Glocally Connected has seen this struggle for many refugees and wants to help make their dream a reality by ensuring their bright future through higher education.
Please join us on our mission this year, and ensure a better future for these girls by supporting us on our website! Thank you!