Migrant and refugee children in Peru completed the programme through a virtual classroom and online educational resources.
In January 2021, as the pandemic continued to disrupt schools all over the world, UNESCO, with support from BMZ and GIZ, launched the Education Response to COVID-19: Distance Learning and Training Strategies - Latin America and the Caribbean Region.
In Peru, this strategy involved the implementation of a non-formal and virtual education programme - “Aprendiendo Unidos” - which aimed to strengthen digital and socio-emotional skills in migrant and refugee girls, boys and adolescents. By the end of 2020, Peru was home to 1.1 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees. Even pre-pandemic, 6 out of 10 of these children were not enrolled in school.
Initially developed pre-COVID and intended to run in educational spaces, “Aprendiendo Unidos” was relaunched in the context of the pandemic to serve displaced boys, girls and adolescents, aged 6-18 years, through a virtual classroom and online educational resources. Starting in May in Lima and La Libertad - regions which are home to large numbers of Venezuelan refugees and migrants - 70 learning sessions were delivered across primary and secondary education levels in just one month. Local tutors had helped redesign the sessions which covered topics such as personal, social and cultural identity, and democratic citizenship. These tutors then played a crucial role in providing guidance to participants which facilitated learning and promoted continued participation in the course.
The challenges
Learners, supported by a parent, work through the programme curriculum on a mobile device.
More than 1,000 migrant and refugee children and adolescents - 522 girls and 528 boys - started the course. Despite the best efforts of many families, almost a third (31%) of this cohort were however unable to complete the programme due to lack of access to mobile devices, mobile data or the internet. Some adolescents struggled to complete the learning sessions while also trying to earn an income, and the absence of parents for work-related reasons meant that younger children often didn’t have the support they needed to carry out the different activities.
Many participants were also personally affected by cases of infection or the deaths of family members due to COVID-19. Through a collaboration with Horizontes - a UNESCO initiative focused on secondary education in rural areas of Peru - two psychologists were on hand to provide remote psychological and socio emotional support to the students and help prevent withdrawal from the programme.
Learnings from the programme
The health situation also caused delays in programming and uploading the various learning sessions, including videos, forums and other interactive activities. This then caused some discontinuity to the online syllabus. Ensuring that all sessions are digitized and uploaded to the platform before the programme begins is therefore a key learning for any future cohorts.
And, while it was anticipated that limited access to devices and data would create challenges for some families, it was evident that the provision of mobile data plans or devices would have contributed to higher programme completion rates, in part by incentivizing participants. Psychological support for parents, who play a key role in supporting younger children throughout the programme, would also boost retention rates.
Next steps
Despite these numerous challenges, the learning sessions still reached hundreds of Venezuelan migrant and refugee children and adolescents. The relevance of these learning
sessions was praised by several parents, with many noting that the information, for example around Peruvian customs and traditions or guidance on the country’s education system matriculation, was interesting and helpful. Some parents highlighted how the support of the tutors had enhanced the experience for their children, others acknowledged how dynamic the course activities were.
The course was designed to also help adolescents develop digital and socio-emotional skills.
Upon completion of the programme, an improved theoretical framework was presented to officials from the Peruvian Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in the country, as well as to a specialist focus group for validation. GMSA has also agreed to come on board to develop different lesson plans around the STEAM fields which will strengthen the project’s link with the Global Education Coalition’s Learning House mission.