UNHCR education programs and initiatives
Overview of UNHCR Education Programs
Mission and scope
UNHCR’s education programs are designed to ensure that people forced to flee can access learning that is safe, relevant, and rights-based. The mission extends beyond classrooms to build inclusive education systems that support displaced children, youth, and adults across host communities, camps, and urban settings. The scope includes formal, non-formal, and complementary approaches that connect learning with protection, livelihoods, and longer-term resilience.
Key objectives and beneficiaries
The core objectives focus on access, equity, quality, and protection. UNHCR aims to widen enrollment for displaced learners, reduce dropout, and facilitate progression to higher levels of study or employment. Beneficiaries span refugee and asylum-seeking children and youth, stateless individuals, and conflict-affected communities whose education needs intersect with protection and social inclusion.
Protection and learning nexus
Education is viewed as a protective mechanism that reduces risk and vulnerability for learners in crises. Safe learning environments, safeguarding policies, and trauma-aware teaching practices are integrated to support children’s safety, well-being, and sense of belonging. The nexus reinforces that learning cannot be separated from protection, as education contributes to stability, social cohesion, and hope for the future.
Education in Emergencies
Safe learning environments
In emergencies, UNHCR prioritizes secure, well-supported schools and learning spaces. This includes safeguarding protocols, trained staff, and child-centered procedures that protect learners from violence, exploitation, and abuse. Safe environments are foundational to both academic achievement and mental health support.
Continuity of learning during displacement
Displacement disrupts routines and credentials. UNHCR supports flexible pathways, accelerated learning opportunities, and recognition of prior learning to ensure learners can resume or continue education. Alternate modalities—such as community-based classes, radio or TV curricula, and digital platforms—help maintain continuity even when schools are disrupted.
Psychosocial support and resilience
Education programs incorporate psychosocial support to help learners cope with trauma, loss, and uncertainty. Resilience-building activities, peer support, and teacher training in trauma-informed approaches strengthen learners’ capacity to adapt and persist in their studies, enabling healthier transitions back to school or into work and entrepreneurship.
Access, Inclusion, and Protection
Inclusive education for refugees
Inclusive education means removing barriers to access and ensuring learning environments reflect diverse needs. Programs emphasize flexible enrollment, language support, bridging and remediation where needed, and pathways that connect refugees with national systems wherever feasible. The goal is to prevent exclusion based on status, gender, language, or background.
Gender equality and safeguarding
UNHCR integrates gender-responsive practices to expand girls’ participation and retention. Safeguarding policies protect pupils from harassment and exploitation, with mechanisms for reporting concerns and safeguarding training for staff, families, and communities. Education is leveraged to advance gender equality in households and societies.
Disability and vulnerable groups
Accessible infrastructure, assistive technologies, and targeted supports ensure learners with disabilities and other vulnerabilities can participate meaningfully. Universal design for learning, sign language resources, and adapted assessments help ensure progress is possible for all students, including those with additional needs.
Partnerships and Funding
Government and NGO collaborations
Collaboration with ministries of education, local authorities, and non-governmental organizations strengthens capacity and aligns education responses with national standards. Joint programming supports system-wide improvements, teacher development, and the alignment of refugee education with host-country curricula where appropriate.
Donor engagement and funding models
Funding for education in crises relies on multi-year commitments, pooled funds, and results-based approaches that reward progress in access, quality, and protection. Donor engagement emphasizes transparency, shared accountability, and alignment with humanitarian and development objectives to sustain programming over time.
Public-private partnerships
Public-private collaborations expand access to digital tools, learning platforms, and educational content. Partnerships with technology companies, publishers, and service providers help deliver devices, connectivity, and locally relevant resources that support effective learning in challenging contexts.
Digital Learning and Innovation
Remote learning platforms
Remote modalities, including radio, television, mobile messaging, and internet-based platforms, extend reach when in-person schooling is not feasible. Open educational resources and modular curricula enable learners to progress with flexibility while maintaining engagement and motivation.
Education technology and connectivity
Access to devices, connectivity, and power is critical. Initiatives focus on distributing tablets or notebooks, deploying offline-capable apps, and improving grid and solar power in remote or underserved areas. Tech-enabled teaching supports differentiated learning and expands access for marginalized groups.
Data-driven decision making
Education programs increasingly rely on data to guide interventions. Learning analytics, enrollment and retention metrics, and learning assessments inform where to target resources, how to adapt curricula, and how to measure progress against outcomes.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Outcomes
Key indicators
Indicators track access (enrollment, attendance), participation (retention, progression), and learning outcomes (literacy, numeracy, competencies). Protection indicators capture incidents and safeguarding effectiveness, while system-level measures assess integration with national education planning.
Data sources and reporting
Data come from school records, learning assessments, partner reporting, and humanitarian information systems. Regular reporting supports accountability to learners, communities, donors, and governments, and feeds into evidence-based adjustments of programs.
Lessons learned and scaling
Experiences show that community engagement, flexible curricula, and robust safeguarding elevate both impact and sustainability. Successful pilots are scaled through partnerships, policy alignment, and capacity-building that strengthens national systems and local governance.
Case Studies and Regional Highlights
Regional highlights
Regional perspectives illustrate how contexts shape education responses. In refugee-hosting regions, programs emphasize bridging into national systems, while in protracted crises, resilience and self-reliance become central. Common threads include safeguarding, adaptive learning, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to meet diverse needs.
Impact stories and learning gains
Stories from learners and educators highlight tangible gains: a high schooler resumes studies after displacement and advances to vocational training; a teacher receives coaching that improves literacy outcomes; a community-driven program expands access for marginalized girls. These narratives illustrate both the human and systems-level impact of coordinated education efforts.
Trusted Source Insight
Key takeaways from UNESCO on education in crises
UNESCO emphasizes inclusive, equitable, quality education for all in crisis settings, prioritizing refugees and displaced learners with safe learning environments, flexible modalities, and data-driven planning. This approach supports resilient learning systems that can adapt to evolving crises and displacement patterns.
How UNESCO informs UNHCR programs
UNESCO guidance informs UNHCR’s emphasis on protection through education, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and the strengthening of education systems to withstand shocks. By aligning with UNESCO’s focus on safe schools, inclusive practices, and flexible learning pathways, UNHCR designs programs that are both protective and scalable across diverse crisis contexts. For more context on UNESCO’s work, see the following source: UNESCO.
UNESCO remains a foundational reference for understanding education in crises and helps shape UNHCR’s approach to policy, practice, and partnerships in emergency settings.
FAQ and Engagement
Common questions about UNHCR education
What populations are eligible for UNHCR education programs? How do learners access services in camps or urban contexts? What learning modalities are prioritized during different crises? How are credentials and progress recognized across systems? These questions guide outreach, enrollment, and the design of adaptable learning pathways.
Guidance for partners and donors
Prospective partners and donors are encouraged to align proposals with national education strategies, demonstrate protected and inclusive practices, and outline measurable outcomes. Collaboration plans should specify capacity-building components, data-sharing arrangements, and sustainability considerations to ensure lasting impact.