The power of all our voices: Together we heal, learn and shine

By Zoe Cohen - IPNEd Secretariat Coordinator

© Tom Pilston/Save the Children

Over the past year, the world has been shocked by the national lockdowns and COVID-related school closures which saw 94% of children out of school.

Yet for many refugee children, the closures of schools bore little change on their ability to access education. Before COVID-19 emerged, only half of all refugee children were in school.

For girls, the situation was even starker, with just 27% of all refugee girls enrolled in secondary school. Sadly the barriers preventing refugee girls from receiving an education have been further exacerbated by the pandemic, with the Malala Fund estimating that half of all refugee girls enrolled in secondary school will never return due to COVID-19.

The power in a voice

Despite barriers stopping refugee children from receiving an education, the powerful desire to learn demonstrates the determination of all children, and particularly those marginalised by displacement.

Nujeen Mustafa, a Syrian refugee who made the 3,500-mile journey from Syria to Germany in a steel wheelchair, embodies the courage and resilience required of refugee children in a world which has failed to measure up to promises made for their futures.

A powerful advocate for refugees and for people living with disabilities, Nujeen has spoken of the need for world leaders to prioritize education for refugees:

“There needs to be an awareness that the future of the entire generation is on the line and their need for an education needs to be prioritized,” she shared in an interview with Education Cannot Wait (ECW).

Working with organisations such as ECW and the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, as well as sharing her story in her book The Girl from Aleppo, Nujeen’s experience has shed light on the wide and growing barriers preventing refugee children from accessing an education.

© UNRWA

Standing together for learning

Whilst young refugee advocates consistently make the case for more and better-targeted support for refugee inclusion in education systems worldwide, without policy and legislation which guarantees their right to education, only small steps can be taken.

One of the strongest forms of solidarity with refugees comes through the parliamentarians across the world who actively support refugees and their education.

Within the International Parliamentary Network for Education (IPNEd) there are many passionate advocates for refugees, including Senator Mobina Jaffer of the Parliament of Canada.

Marking World Refugee Day 2021, Senator Jaffer shared with IPNEd: "During COVID, we have all gone through some of the most difficult times in our life. However, those difficult times are not all the same.

“50 years ago, I became a refugee. Every day, I think of the people who are literally fleeing to save their family and their lives.

“Today when Canada and the rest of the world have locked their borders, they have locked out refugees who are seeking asylum. I shiver when I think about what would have happened to my family and I if when we sought entry to Canada, the doors were locked.

“This refugee day, I encourage all people to think about what lockdown means and has meant for people around the world and support refugees who are not safe in the country’s they were born in.”

Throughout her time in Parliament, Senator Jaffer has consistently demonstrated the power of parliamentary advocacy for refugees, ensuring that refugees and their right to safety, to freedom and to education is not only recognised but committed to across the world.

© Save the Children

Commitments must be delivered to ensure all children can learn

Support for refugees was acknowledged as a priority by the international community in 2018 when the Global Compact on Refugees was affirmed at the UN General Assembly, facilitating the establishment of a Global Refugee Forum (GRF) every four years to take stock of progress.

In 2019, at the first GRF, education was recognised as a crucial pillar for transforming support for refugees. In total, 204 pledges were made for education at the GRF, however progress in achieving these pledges has been slow.

As the world recovers from COVID-19 and resources in all areas are squeezed, the role of parliamentarians in ensuring their countries deliver on their pledges for refugee education is more critical than ever.

The International Parliamentary Network for Education is working with MPs to support their advocacy to achieve the commitments made at the GRF. Together with UNHCR, we will be working with parliamentarians across the world to support their work to ensure the delivery and implementation of global commitments to refugee education.

Together, refugees and advocates, both parliamentary and in civil society, can ensure that refugee education is prioritized in the recovery from COVID-19, and truly deliver the promise of a world where no child is left behind.