Existing studies show that children, parents and communities affected by crisis prioritize education, emphasizing values of learning as a hope for the better future. Globally, however, some 75 million children and youths in 35 crisis-affected countries are still out of school. For children and youths who have missed part or all education or have had their education disrupted by crisis and violence, alternative education provision is a way to complete equivalent level of basic education, to return to formal education system, to enhance readiness for obtaining decent work, or to improve resilience in managing adversities.
This joint symposium organized by the JICA Research Institute and RET International will present five case studies from different crisis situations. Three case studies in Timor-Leste, Rwanda and Uganda conducted by the JICA Research Institute collected the life stories of youths to analyze individuals’ motives to learn as well as perceived roles of education in society and in peace-building processes. Two programmes in Latin America and Middle East from RET International will explore that the too often forgotten rights to quality education and active social participation for vulnerable adolescents and young people; and the rights of disabled children and youth to benefit from the same education opportunities and services than no-disable people. RET will demonstrate that there are innovative and alternative ways to not leave anybody behind in contexts of fragility, disaster, conflict and violence, through the presentation of successful and replicable projects.
The following papers/programmes will be presented:
1. Using a census survey and life-story interviews, the paper on Timor-Leste analyses how and why youths wanted to learn and how the program can contribute to building resilience in learners and, more widely, in Timorese society. It found that many Equivalency Program participants were intrinsically motivated to learn and encouraged by the nation’s independence to obtain the second chance education.
2. In Rwanda, based on the 41 life story interviews, the research illustrates how flexible and affordable education provision, including accelerated learning and evening classes, enabled lost generation adults to achieve the education. Such provision also accommodated the most vulnerable populations like orphans and street children. The research then discusses the significant level of resilience these individuals demonstrated to pursue education for knowledge, livelihood, survival, normative value, and healing.
3. The research in Uganda was taken from 30 life story interviews conducted in the Lira district in 2016, and reveal limited opportunities for education in that time but also weaknesses in the education system per se was identified. The research also reveals a range of reasons why individuals seek to pursue education despite the many barriers they face. This includes for transformation – material, social and of identity, catharsis and as a contribution to peace.
4. RET will share the results of a two years’ intervention in Latin America, aiming at strengthening institutional Disaster Risk Reduction capacities of schools, and helping children and youth with disabilities become actors of their own safety in case of an emergency as to prevent dropouts from the education system in areas of regular natural disasters.
5. In Turkey and Lebanon, based on different alternative education measures successfully implemented to ensure that refugee adolescents and youth re-enter the education system of the host country, RET will discuss the challenges and opportunities that the given measures have generated in order to institutionalize the right to education of all in protracted contexts.
The symposium discussions aim to identify common themes across the case studies and to generate policy and strategic suggestions in achieving inclusive and equitable quality education through more diversified learning pathways to meet the diverse needs of the crisis-affected populations.
