UNHCR Handbook for Emergencies - UNHCR eCentre

and psychological well-being of children and
young people. Setting up basic schools will
give a structure and sense of normality to
a dislocated and traumatized community.
Refugees are dislocated not only from their
homes and families but also from their community
– the old community is disrupted while
new community structures are only gradually
evolving. Schools can be the initial community
focal points, and a sense of well-being may be
created if the new community is partly structured
around institutions which are as familiar
as schools, rather than around, for example,
distribution points, registration and health
centres which may be more representative of
the problems of their current situation.
74. In addition, schools can be initiated and
managed by the community itself much more
easily than other refugee institutions, again enhancing
self-esteem and self-reliance. Refugee
teachers and parents often establish informal
schools even in an emergency - as soon as basic
needs in food water and health are met, because
they recognize the importance of a
school system for the reasons set out above.
Informal schools started by the refugees
themselves should be supported, and can
be used as a basis to begin the programme.
75. In addition to community building, other
important functions of the education system
in an emergency are:
i. To disseminate survival and life skills messages.
Simple messages can be spread
through the school system, on issues such
as health, sanitation, nutrition, and looking
after the local resources (fuelwood for
cooking) so they do not become too rapidly
depleted;
ii. To provide parents with extra time to work
on family survival needs;
iii. To serve as an important protection tool in
certain circumstances, e.g. through providing
an alternative to military recruitment;
iv. To provide continuity of education which
can help reintegration in the country of
origin.
Every child has the right to education, as set
out in the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
76. Detailed information on planning education
programmes and on standards for refugee
schools is set out in the latest edition of
UNHCR’s Education Guidelines. These guidelines
are essential reading for those establishing
an education programme.
Setting up an Education Programme
77. Basic education must be provided and,
although priorities in the emergency phase
may mean that the full implementation of an
education programme is difficult, a start must
be made. An education programme should
only be delayed if the emergency is clearly going
to be short-lived.
The emergency education programme
should provide free access to organized activities
and basic education for all refugee
children and young people.
78. Identify teachers from the refugee population
who can organize recreational and educational
activities, and identify agencies to
support the development of basic education
programmes.
Simple Activities
79. In the beginning, the aim is to establish a
simple programme of structured recreational
and simple educational activities for children
and young people. This is possible even with
limited educational supplies – simply gathering
the children together for a set period each day
and keeping them occupied is a valuable first
step. Identify teachers from the refugee population
who are willing to do this. The activities
should support the lifesaving measures underway
in other sectors by including simple messages
on health, sanitation etc. appropriate
for the children’s level, and by providing parents
with extra time to work on family survival
needs. Recreational and activity materials of
the type listed in Annex 3 could be used to
support such a programme.
80. The initial activities should then be developed
into a primary school system, based
on the curriculum of the country of origin. The
timing of the transition from the simple activities
to the more formal primary education will
depend on the evolution of the emergency.
Where the school system in the country of asylum
is similar to that of the country or area of
origin and refugee numbers are limited, resources
may be provided to local schools to
enable them to accommodate refugee students,
provided this is cost-effective.
Basic Education
81. A single, unified primary school system
should be developed as soon as possible. Edu-
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