The first regional edition of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report published by UNESCO was launched this morning at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE). The Arab States Migration, displacement and education: Building bridges, not walls Report analyses the impact of these population movements on education systems in the region and presents a series of urgent recommendations to protect the education rights of those on the move.
The Arab States is the region most affected by displacement, which has slowed down its education progress relative to the rest of the world. The gap between the Arab States and sub-Saharan Africa in those enrolling in primary education has more than halved in the past 20 years, for instance. Over the same period, Central and Southern Asia has overtaken the Arab States in enrolment rates at the lower secondary level and the gap is rapidly closing at the upper secondary level too.
There is no doubt that these countries are facing a unique challenge due to these population flows. Regardless, displaced children and youth do not leave their right to an education behind. Policy makers must put themselves in their shoes. Expecting refugees to travel with school certificates is unrealistic, for instance. They must ensure their policies fairly reflect displaced persons’ needs. Continue reading