Learning for a Future: Refugee Education in Developing Countries Edited by Jeff Crisp, Christopher Talbot and Daiana Cipollone United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees $25 (approx pound;17.50).

Since September 11, refugee camps have changed in the public perception from pitiable communities of innocent victims to breeding grounds of instability and violence. Both extremes ignore the complex realities of the humanity within these makeshift groupings. One of the realities is the role that education, even in these extreme circumstances, can play in helping children and young people to reclaim their lives.

As UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, makes clear in Learning for a Future, the psychological, emotional and social healing that education brings to children and young people who have been traumatised and displaced is as important as their physical wellbeing.

Schooling re-establishes normality, gives hope amid despair, provides structure and continuity when the rest of the world appears to have been turned upside down. In addition, it protects children from further harm by keeping them in a safe environment and highlights which children need specialist attention.

There were about 15 million refugees in the world in 1999; in many displaced populations, roughly one in three are of school age. Save the Children UK estimates that an additional 13 million children have been violently displaced within their own countries. The vast majority seek sanctuary either in their own homeland or in nearby countries, where shady trees become makeshift classrooms. But whatever the setting, refugee provision in developing countries can teach more affluent nations important lessons in priorities.

For example, rapid action to meet the needs of children moving out of crisis situations is vital and could affect their long-term outcomes. UNHCR considers education “an integral part of emergency responseI as soon as a food distribution system is in place. (It is) the first line of response for promoting the recovery and wellbeing of children and adolescents who have suffered losses, displacement and often horrific experiences.”

For adolescents, the age group most psychologically affected by war, schooling can save lives. It provides a positive alternative to joining militia groups or the armed forces, as well as a vehicle for getting across crucial information about how to avoid pregnancy, HIVAids and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Central to refugee education in developing countries are teachers, often refugees themselves, whose formal qualifications are less important than their dedication and understanding of children’s complex needs. An example of excellence featured in this report is the Bhutanese refugee education programme in eastern Nepal, which is more than 10 years old. Nine schools cater for a population of almost 100,000, supported by UNHCR and Caritas-Nepal. The premises are temporary structures of bamboo and grass but are adequately resourced and teachers, recruited from the refugee population, receive in-service training. The schools claim almost 100 per cent enrolment.

The child-centred, activity-based curriculum in the early years reflects Bhutanese traditional culture and values; pupils prepare for repatriation by learning the language of Bhutan. Continuous curriculum development goes hand in hand with an emphasis on personal development, encompassing everything from cleaning the compound to making speeches during assembly to raise confidence and instil positive attitudes. Attendance is high and so are exam results, with an average pass rate of 95 per cent.

But for every beacon of good practice there are many more poor refugee schools, and UNHCR’s financial crisis in recent years (funding has fallen by 20 per cent) has forced some to close. The report makes clear that the situation is likely to worsen. As Sudanese refugee teachers in Northern Uganda put it in a letter to UNHCR: “Without quality education, what does UNHCR think shall be the side effects on the refugee communities and the host country?”

‘Learning for a Future’ can be found on the internet at www.unhcr.ch pubsepaulearningfuturelearningtoc.htm or can be ordered from unpubli@unog.ch