After Return

8. Education and training
Case study 3: Zahid
Access to “any kind of education” (R24, IAR) was, for Zahid, one of the things that made
the UK a “good place”. Zahid was in his third year of studying Mechanical Engineering at a
college in London when he was detained and removed. On return, he wondered if he would
have the same opportunities again, saying:
“In Afghanistan I had not studied much, and I think it is not possible to continue the kind of
study I was doing in the UK… My friends feel sorry for me because I could not continue my
studies and had to quit everything. They look happy continuing their studies, but for me now
it looks a nightmare to find that kind of opportunities to study again” (ibid).
A month later Zahid still hoped to “continue my education if I find a job and get able to pay
for the expenses” (R24, IM1). Six months later, having discovered that just finding work had
been hard enough, Zahid described the vicious circle which had curtailed his education,
saying, “if you are working, you don’t have time to do education. But if you want to do
education, it is impossible without money” (R24, IM6).
Zahid was only able to continue his education after he had left Afghanistan for a second
time and travelled to Italy, where he had Italian lessons twice a week. “It is not much helpful,”
he said, “not like in UK. Teaching was good there” (R24, SI4).
32%
8
7
28%
36%
9
4
16%
4%
1
4%
Highest level of
education attained
in the uk
1
2
8%
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) only
Completed BTEC Diploma L1 - 2,
Partially completed BTEC Diploma L1 - 2,
Integrated ESOL
No data available
GCSEs grades A-C
GCSEs grades D and below
2
8%
4
16%
4%
1
8%
Highest level of
education attained
before leaving
Afghanistan
2
2
8%
3
No data available
No previous education (formal or informal)
Partial secondary education
Completed primary education only
Partial primary education only
Completed secondary education
Religious education only
4
12%
16%
Figure 22. Level(s) of previous education
The remainder of this chapter explores the extent
to which young returnees prioritise continuing
education, the opportunities they have to do so,
and the impact of their time in the UK on their ability
to progress vis-a-vis that of their non-UK educated
Afghan peers.
Prioritisation of education by
young returnees
Education is known to be a priority for young asylum
seekers in the UK, with many unaccompanied minors
expressing a belief that investing in their education
will better prepare them for the future, whether in the
UK or elsewhere. 52 Similarly, displaced children and
young people living in conflict-affected fragile states
have been increasingly found to cite education as
one of their top life-priorities. 53 Those forced to return
to Afghanistan after spending formative years in
the UK continue to value education (see figure 23) -
often in acutely difficult circumstances.
52 Refugee Support Network. 2011.
53 Gladwell, C and Tanner, L. 2013.
After Return 33