Bridging educational gaps during displacement

Understanding Displacement and Education

Types of displacement (refugees, IDPs, asylum seekers)

Displacement takes many forms, and the educational needs of each group can differ. Refugees are people who have crossed an international border seeking safety, often losing access to their home schools and curricula. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain within their country but are forced to flee their homes, frequently facing similar schooling disruptions without the cross-border protections that refugees may have. Asylum seekers are individuals who have left their country of origin and are pursuing formal recognition of their refugee status; their access to education can depend on local policies, housing arrangements, and the pace of asylum processes. Recognizing these distinctions helps tailor responses that respect rights while accommodating practical barriers.

Why education is disrupted during displacement

Education is disrupted in displacement contexts by a combination of forced movement, family separation, and the loss of stable schooling environments. Schools may be destroyed or repurposed, teachers may relocate or be unavailable, and families grapple with shifting livelihoods and housing insecurity. Legal status, language barriers, and limited transportation can further hinder regular attendance. In many crises, even where schools exist, the quality and relevance of learning may suffer as curricula are interrupted and resources are stretched thin. The result is an education gap that compounds the immediate dangers of displacement, affecting long-term outcomes for children and youth.

Global data snapshot on displaced learners

Global data from UN agencies consistently show that millions of children and young people affected by displacement are at risk of being out of school or receiving a compromised education. Enrollment rates for displaced learners lag behind those of non-displaced peers, and completion rates are often much lower in crisis settings. Across regions, language barriers, safety concerns, and inadequate funding converge to create persistent gaps in access, learning continuity, and credential recognition. While numbers vary by context, the overarching pattern is clear: displacement disrupts learning trajectories and requires concerted, context-specific action to restore pathways to quality education.

Barriers and Gaps

Access to enrollment and retention

Access to enrollment is frequently limited by legal status, asylum procedures, school capacity, and resource constraints in host communities. Even when children gain entry, retention becomes a challenge as families relocate, children marry early, or pressures from work and caregiving obligations increase. Admissions processes may be rigid and not attuned to the needs of displaced learners, who often require flexible attendance, catch-up opportunities, and simplified documentation. Ensuring consistent school placement and ongoing enrollment is essential to prevent long-term disengagement from education.

Quality of learning and outcomes

Disrupted teacher availability, inconsistent curricula, and scarce learning materials affect the quality of education for displaced students. Learning may become procedural rather than developmental, with limited opportunities to develop critical thinking, language skills, and numeracy. Assessment systems may not reflect the realities of displaced learners, making it hard to identify gaps and tailor interventions. High-quality learning in emergencies hinges on stable teacher support, relevant curricula, and meaningful opportunities to progress academically and socially.

Language and cultural barriers

Language of instruction and cultural relevance play a central role in learning outcomes for displaced students. They may arrive in settings where the local language differs from their home language, creating barriers to comprehension and participation. Cultural norms, learning styles, and parental expectations can also influence engagement. Programs that offer multilingual instruction, culturally responsive pedagogy, and supportive family engagement tend to improve inclusion and academic achievement for displaced learners.

Safety, psychosocial wellbeing, and protection

Safety concerns—such as exposure to violence, cramped shelter conditions, and exploitation—directly impact a child’s ability to learn. Psychosocial wellbeing, including trauma responses and stress, affects attention, memory, and motivation. Protective services, safe school environments, and teacher supports are essential to create spaces where children can focus on learning and recover from traumatic experiences. Integrating psychosocial support with classroom instruction helps sustain attendance and resilience.

Policy and Programs

Inclusive national policies and asylum pathways

Inclusive policies that guarantee access to education for refugees, IDPs, and asylum seekers are foundational. This includes clear enrollment rights, recognition of prior learning, and streamlined pathways for integrating displaced students into national schooling systems. Durable solutions require collaboration across ministries, with education at the center of protection and inclusion frameworks. When policies align with international human rights standards, schools become stable anchors even amid wider displacement challenges.

Funding for Education in Emergencies (EiE)

Education in Emergencies requires dedicated, timely funding. Gaps in EiE funding often force schools to reduce hours, limit staff, or substitute materials with improvised resources. Sustained financing—from international partners, governments, and donors—enables flexible scheduling, teacher recruitment, psychosocial services, and the provision of essential learning materials. Efficient funding also supports data collection and accountability mechanisms to guide ongoing investments and improvements.

Transnational schooling and recognition of credentials

Displaced learners frequently pursue education across borders, creating the need for cross-country schooling arrangements and credential recognition. Transnational schooling models, credit transfer systems, and portability of certificates help learners continue their studies without losing progress. Clear recognition of prior learning and qualifications reduces redundancy and accelerates educational attainment, which is crucial for fragile economies and refugee-hosting regions that depend on skilled young people to contribute to social and economic recovery.

Innovative Strategies

Flexible learning models and catch-up programs

Flexible approaches—such as modular curricula, block scheduling, and accelerated learning paths—allow displaced students to balance education with other survival needs. Catch-up programs focus on essential competencies in literacy, numeracy, and core subjects while offering pathways to graduation. Blended models, combining in-person and remote activities, help maintain continuity when displacement is ongoing or mobility is high.

Community-based and mobile education

Community-based schools and mobile education units bring learning closer to where displaced families live. Mobile classes can operate in shelters, camps, or informal settlements, reducing travel barriers and improving attendance. Involving community members as teachers and learning facilitators fosters trust, ensures cultural relevance, and strengthens local ownership of education initiatives.

Digital learning and offline readiness

Digital platforms expand access to curricula, especially when local teachers are scarce or schools are partially closed. However, connectivity and device access are often uneven in displacement settings. Programs that combine offline readiness—downloadable content, low-bandwidth platforms, and offline assessment tools—with targeted on-site support can bridge the digital divide and maintain learning momentum.

Teacher training and support

Qualified teachers who understand the needs of displaced learners are critical. Professional development should cover trauma-informed practices, multilingual instruction, inclusive assessment, and flexible pedagogy. Ongoing coaching, peer collaboration, and access to teaching resources strengthen classroom effectiveness and help retain teachers in challenging environments.

Partnerships and Stakeholders

Governments, UN agencies, and NGOs

Collaboration among governments, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organizations is essential to align policies, share best practices, and mobilize resources. Coordinated planning reduces duplication, ensures consistency across borders, and enables rapid scaling of successful approaches in emergencies. Data sharing and joint monitoring reinforce accountability and improve program quality.

Local communities and schools

Engaging local communities and schools builds trust, leverages existing networks, and ensures that interventions are contextually appropriate. Community leaders can facilitate enrollment, identify vulnerable children, and support safe school environments. Schools serve as hubs for protection services, health checks, and family engagement, reinforcing the link between education and wellbeing.

Donors, private sector, and civil society

Donors, the private sector, and civil society organizations contribute financial resources, technical expertise, and innovative solutions. Public-private partnerships can expand infrastructure, supply devices and connectivity, or support teacher training programs. Civil society organizations often provide specialized support for gender equality, protection, and inclusion, helping ensure that no learner is left behind.

Measuring Impact and Accountability

Data systems and indicators for displaced learners

Robust data systems are needed to track enrollment, attendance, progression, and learning outcomes among displaced students. Disaggregated indicators by displacement status, gender, age, and region enable targeted interventions and equitable resource allocation. Real-time data supports timely decisions in rapidly changing crises and informs policy adjustments.

Monitoring learning outcomes and equity

Beyond attendance, monitoring should measure literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. Equity lenses reveal whether marginalized groups—girls, younger learners, or those with disabilities—are achieving comparable progress. Frequent assessments, aligned with flexible curricula, help identify gaps and guide remediation efforts.

Accountability mechanisms and feedback loops

Transparent accountability mechanisms involve learners, families, teachers, and communities in evaluation processes. Feedback loops through community forums, school committees, and student councils allow concerns to surface and be addressed. Clear accountability also encompasses fund disbursement, program outcomes, and adherence to safety and child protection standards.

Case Studies and Lessons Learned

Examples from different regions

In crisis contexts across regions, successful programs emphasize local leadership, adaptable curricula, and inclusive enrollment. For example, mobile education teams have bridged gaps in settings where formal schools are damaged or inaccessible. In refugee-hosting areas, partnerships that align with national education systems—while maintaining protective spaces and multilingual instruction—have shown improvements in attendance and learning continuity. Each case demonstrates how context-specific adaptation, combined with strong protection and community involvement, yields measurable gains even under pressure.

Key takeaways and scalable practices

Key takeaways include the importance of early, inclusive policy design; sustainable EiE funding; and the scaling of flexible, community-driven models. Scalable practices often hinge on strong teacher support, multilingual and culturally relevant instruction, and the ability to track progress through reliable data. When programs are anchored in local realities and maintain close coordination with national systems, they are more likely to endure beyond immediate emergencies.

Trusted Source Insight

Key takeaway from UNESCO on education in emergencies

Trusted Source Insight: UNESCO emphasizes safeguarding safe, inclusive, and relevant learning as a universal right during crises, advocating flexible learning pathways, strong teacher support, multilingual instruction, and data-informed decision making. For more on UNESCO’s perspective, see the following source anchor: UNESCO.