Attachments
Executive summary
In 2022, 40% of the 34.6 million refugees globally were children (UNHCR, 2023e). On average, refugees are displaced for over 10 years (DeVictor, 2019), with many children and youth spending their entire childhood in a host country. Inclusion in national education systems has been recognized as the most effective way for host countries to provide equitable access to safe, quality education for refugees, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UNHCR, 2019a). Beyond ensuring the right to education, inclusion in national systems – as opposed to parallel systems – provides an opportunity for host governments to promote social cohesion and equip refugees with the tools needed to rebuild their lives (UNESCO et al., 2015). Given the protracted and often cyclical nature of displacement and conflict, planning for long-term solutions from the onset of crisis, including by granting refugees access to national systems and a pathway to socio-economic integration, enables host governments and refugees alike to better navigate the uncertainty of refugees’ futures.
Refugee inclusion hinges on the existence of comprehensive laws and policies across several areas, which shape how refugees obtain recognition and documentation; access safe, quality education; navigate transitions; and certify their learning. Beyond education, domestic laws shape the extent to which refugees can access long-term solutions and contribute to the countries that host them. Along these policy pathways, data play a critical role in helping governments formulate and implement effective policies. Evidence-based policy-making requires data across a range of areas, from the location and profiles of refugees; to access to safe and quality education, including enrolment, performance, retention, well-being, and learning; to long-term outcomes, including labour market participation and socio-economic integration. However, the inclusion of refugees in national data systems is limited, in part due to a lack of adequate questions to identify refugees within datasets (UIS, 2021; UNESCO, 2023c). The collection of more timely and reliable data across a range of areas can help policy-makers formulate evidence-based policies that respond to their needs.
This report aims to contribute to an emerging landscape on refugee inclusion in national education systems by exploring the relationship between policy and data within a broader narrative of inclusion, from arrival in the host country to the achievement of durable solutions. The target audience includes government officials and humanitarian and development partners working on refugee education policy and data. Key insights have been gained through a review of policies in 35 low- and middle-income host countries, as well as case studies on the process of inclusion in seven countries (Chad, Colombia, Ecuador, Jordan, Pakistan, Peru, and Uganda). The work highlights examples of inclusion in both policy and data in order to begin to explore the policy-data nexus – understood as the linkages between policy-making processes and the collection, analysis, and utilization of data – and to capture evidence on best practices in the development of evidence-based policies for refugee inclusion.
On the basis of these findings, key recommendations to policy-makers include developing policies guided by medium- to long-term perspectives from the onset of crisis; fostering sustained political support for refugees to allow for the adoption of inclusive policies; and aligning normative frameworks with data collection efforts to monitor implementation and assess impact. Key recommendations to partners and donors include providing predictable and sustained support to host governments to enable long-term planning and ensuring interventions reach host communities; supporting capacity-building efforts to improve data collection and management capabilities; and strengthening coordination efforts to mobilize resources and make meaningful progress towards the achievement of SDG 4.