Education is a fundamental human right for all children and youth. A quality education provides children and young people with the skills and confidence they need to allow them to live lives that they have reason to value. Education creates the voice through which other rights can be claimed and protected.
Education
Displacement has a devastating impact on learning, and often leads to an education being denied or interrupted. Children and youth may suffer from traumatic experiences and a loss of the social networks that provide protection and support.
The capacity of education systems to deliver quality education is often significantly reduced during displacement and host communities often struggle to integrate displaced children in existing educational facilities and systems.
Displacement has a devastating impact on learning, and often leads to an education being denied or interrupted. Children and youth may suffer from traumatic experiences and a loss of the social networks that provide protection and support.
The capacity of education systems to deliver quality education is often significantly reduced during displacement and host communities often struggle to integrate displaced children in existing educational facilities and systems.
Our expertise in education
We aim to ensure that all displacement-affected children and youth enjoy high-quality, safe and inclusive learning opportunities relevant to their psychosocial, emotional and cognitive development and needs, from the start of emergencies.
NRC provides opportunities for school-aged children (between six and 18 years old) and youth (between 15 and 24 years old, depending on the country) to exercise their right to education and enhance their wellbeing. We have a particular focus on those who are out of school or have had their education interrupted. We support them in completing a full cycle of education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
From the onset of an emergency, children and youth are provided with education that prepares them for transition into longer-term learning pathways.
We promote and support the transition and inclusion of both internally displaced and refugee children and youth into formal education systems, so they benefit from an accredited education.
Recognising that governments are the primary duty-bearer, we support them to uphold their duties, including through teacher professional development and curriculum development. Teacher professional development is key to achieving quality education through the provision of continuous training, follow-up and fair compensation.
As not all children and youth are able to participate in formal education, we provide flexible and, if possible, accredited non-formal education opportunities relevant to children’s individual learning needs.
We provide youth with opportunities for post-primary education, including technical, vocational and tertiary education, supporting them to engage meaningfully in their communities and access livelihood opportunities.
A total of 1,216,105 people benefited from our education work in 2023.
Our education activities primarily focus on four response areas:
- first-line education response
- non-formal education opportunities
- transition to and retention in formal education
- youth education and wellbeing
Our global education development strategy focuses on the following priority workstreams:
- Improve adherence to Safe and Inclusive Programming (SIP)
- Institutionalise continuous teacher professional development
- Strengthen education advocacy to change policy and practice
- Improve teaching and learning through digital technologies (Ed-Tech)
- Scale up cash and voucher assistance (CVA)
- Improve collaboration and exchange of expertise with local actors
- Explore how to address the impact of climate change through education
All our education programmes adhere to the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) Minimum Standards for Education.
NRC Global Education Strategy 2022-2025
NRC aims to ensure that children and youth affected by displacement enjoy quality education that is relevant to their psychosocial, emotional and cognitive development, across all phases of displacement.
This Global Education Strategy provides an overview of how NRC, building upon the status of our education programming today, will ensure the greatest likelihood of success in achieving this aim in 2022–2025.
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NRC's areas of expertise
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EducationDisplacement has a devastating impact on learning, and often leads to education being interrupted or denied. NRC works to ensure that children and youth forced to flee can access high-quality, safe, inclusive and relevant learning opportunities.
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Legal assistance (ICLA)People forced to flee frequently lose access to rights and services. Legal frameworks can either perpetuate displacement and discrimination or serve as instruments of protection and durable solutions. NRC assists people to navigate these frameworks, so they can exercise their rights.
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Livelihoods and food securityDuring conflicts and disasters, food production and market systems face collapse. People can lose their assets and even their ability to earn a living. NRC works to ensure that people forced to flee can exercise their right to an adequate standard of living.
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Protection from violenceWhen people are forced to flee their homes, they often experience ongoing threats to their safety. NRC help to ensure displaced people are protected, by preventing and responding to violence, coercion, and actions taken by others to deny them their rights.
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Shelter and settlementsLosing one’s home is devastating. Many people forced to flee are struggling to find a safe place to stay, leaving them exposed to risks like weather, illnesses and violence. NRC supports people with housing within safe and healthy settlements.
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Water, sanitation and hygieneAccess to clean water and sanitation facilities is among the most urgent of all needs. Without proper sanitation, water supplies can become contaminated and disease can spread rapidly. NRC works to ensure that people forced to flee have access to safe water.