-410,000 Rohingya children caught up in education crisis in the camps
-18,881 Rohingya refugee participate in the petition campaign
-RHRC submits information to the UN Special Procedures for quality Rohingya refugee education
-RHRC also sends the letters to the GoB and the NUG for quality education for refugee children The Rohingya Human Rights Center (RHRC) has successfully completed the petition campaign “What’sNext? Scale Up for Rohingya Education” on 9th December when the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted. With the 18,881 Rohingya participants, RHRC has submitted a letter of allegation to the Special Rapporteur on Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar and the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education on the same day.
It has also sent letters urging the Government of Bangladesh and the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar to ensure equal and quality education for Rohingya children in the camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. In the letter to two Special Rapporteurs, RHRC raises the issues regarding Rohingya refugee education in the camps. RHRC also requests them to recommend the Government of Bangladesh and the NUG of Myanmar to take measures to ensure equal and quality education for Rohingya children in the camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
According to the RHRC report “What’s Next: Scale Up for Rohingya Education“, approximately 410,000 Rohingya children have been caught up in another education crisis in the camps over the last five years. Recently, the Myanmar curriculum scale-up was introduced, but there are various issues that remain unresolved or undeclared. It includes education lacking certification, a shortage of qualified teachers due to low incentives, gender disparity, closure of Rohingya-run private centers, and so forth. The most urgent issue that the community is facing is their education lacking certification. The current education system in the camps does not provide any certificate to Rohingya students after completion of their studies.
The Rohingya community is deeply concerned that their students may have to re-start their education from Grade 1 due to lack of recognition, or give up educational opportunities in other countries, as they have no certificate as proof of their studies. 1 In addition, the quality of the education on offer is a matter of great concern. Even though education has been provided as part of emergency response, the quality of the education has been overlooked. The significant gap in funding has undoubtedly detrimentally affected the educational environment in the camps. As of early December, targets are vastly unmet since the education sector has received just 9.1% of the funding required for the Joint Response Plan 2022. Only 1.6% of the total amount of funding is assigned for education response, an essential component of humanitarian action.
Kyaw Win, RHRC director said,
Education is a lifeline for refugee children, especially persecuted minorities like the Rohingya as their right to education was already violated as a result of their long-term persecution. Equal and quality education is essential for Rohingya refugee children to rebuild their future. Below are measures that should be taken to ensure equal and quality education for them:
- The GoB and the NUG of Myanmar ensure that Rohingya students receive a certified education based on the Myanmar curriculum through immediate and effective negotiation;
- The GoB and the education sector improve the quality of education by recruiting qualified teachers by offering them reasonable salaries as well as by adopting a subject-based teaching system;
- The GoB revokes the ban on private teaching and authorizes it as an alternative to fill the educational gaps;
- The GoB and the education sector provide separate learning spaces and female teachers for assured attendance of girl students;
- The international community keeps its pledge to increase their timely, adequate, and needs-driven financing for equal and quality education.
About Rohingya Human Rights Center
Rohingya Human Rights Center, founded in 2021, defends the rights of the Rohingya whose citizenship rights are denied and seeks justice for Rohingya people and marginalized minority groups in Rakhine and other States in Myanmar. RHRC monitors and documents human rights abuses and advocates the rights of the persecuted ethnic minorities including Rohingya. Follow us on Facebook and YouTube.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Kyaw Win
rohingyahumanrightscenter@gamil.com