For more information about INSPIRE contact Juergen Wintermeier

Innovative Strategic Partnerships in Refugee Education (INSPIRE)

UNHCR regards education as a basic human right, a tool for protection, a key pillar of humanitarian assistance and an international commitment under the Millennium Development Goals. Our Education Field Guidelines, published in February 2003, set out our commitment towards: “safeguarding the right of refugees to education and implementing the six goals of Education For All which include free access to primary education, equitable access to appropriate learning for youth and adults, adult literacy, gender equity and quality education”.

We realise that much has to be done – by UNHCR and our partners – to make a reality of this pledge. In 2002-03 our statistics suggest that only a million of the 1.9 million camp-based refugee children of school age were enrolled in education programmes – while rates for urban refugees, most of whom are unregistered, are considerably lower. Half of the registered refugee children receiving schooling under UNHCR auspices are in the four lowest grades and only 12% in the four highest grades. Refugee girls account for 46% of enrolments but are more concentrated in the lower grades. More than 80% of students surveyed in 66 selected camp locations do not have access to an adequate number of teachers. Only 60% of the teachers are properly qualified.

In order to mobilise resources, strengthen networking capacity, promote gender parity and find – and share the burden for – solutions to address gaps in education opportunities for refugees, UNHCR and our major operational partners working in education[1] launched the Education Forum/INSPIRE initiative in December 2003.

Consultation with the network – through meetings, teleconferences and email – has been coordinated by UNHCR’s Education Unit. Information materials have been developed and disseminated. Missions have visited Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana to mobilise partner support and to launch local INSPIRE Reference Groups.

UNHCR has provided funding for three sub-regional workshops in Africa and Asia to discuss education needs and partnerships in the context of on-going and/or planned repatriation operations for Afghan, Sudanese and Liberian refugees. Initial meetings have taken place in Accra and Nairobi and recommendations are being followed up by the UNHCR Regional Support Hubs located in both cities. Further meetings are planned for Kabul, Afghanistan and Bogota, Colombia. In Liberia and Sudan education planning for repatriation and reintegration is at an advanced stage including a number of proposals for joint action. EQUIPs (Education Quick Impact Projects) have been developed and funding obtained for piloting. In each country a ‘lead agency’ had been selected to coordinate INSPIRE activities.

It is hoped that the momentum established by INSPIRE will:

· help meet the recognised need to improve strategic and integrated planning with NGOs, government, UN agencies and local partners

· analyse successful national coordinating structures bringing together all education stakeholders and suggest how to replicate them elsewhere

· address the current lack of systematic and shared data collection mechanisms and procedures for documenting, sharing and building on good practices

· enable more effective lobbying of governments to assume their responsibilities to facilitate education for refugee children, whether they are host countries or countries receiving returnees

· ensure that all partners and stakeholders are involved in the development of the Country Operations Plan (COP) in order to guarantee a systematic, common statement of intent in the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP).

For more information about INSPIRE, contact Nemia Temporal and/or Juergen Wintermeier, Education Forum Secretariat, UNHCR Education Unit, 94 rue de Montbrillant, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Email: temporal@unhcr.ch and/or wintermj@unhcr.ch