Thematic report | 03 August 2021 IMPACT OF LACK OF BIRTH REGISTRATION ON CHILDREN NIDs in Bangladesh are only issued for citizens aged 18 and older. While birth registration is critical for children, families usually do not make it a priority until they need to access education or services, and not all service providers routinely demand birth certificates (KII 16/06/2021). Nationally, birth registration rates increase sharply for children aged four to six years because parents often wait until their children reach school age to register (UNICEF accessed 18/05/2021). Consequently, the children significantly affected by the suspension of birth registration are those born between 2012–2016, who need access to education now. Although nationally birth certificates are required to enrol children in school, in Cox’s Bazar, the current practice involves a local government representative providing references for children enrolling in primary school by declaring that they know the family and requesting access to services without requiring a birth certificate (KII 08/04/2021; 16/06/2021). The headmaster of the primary school then issues proof of enrolment that allows the child to access secondary education (KII 08/04/2021). It is unclear how accessible such references are and if payment is required. While informal mechanisms allow enrolment in primary and secondary school, they do not enable students to register for external board examinations such as the Secondary School Certificate and the Higher Secondary Certificate (Human Rights Watch 03/12/2019). Because of the challenges in applying for birth registration and the culture of waiting to register births until necessary, many children may have been unable to take matriculation exams on time. Students from Cox’s Bazar who are older than 18 also struggle with university admissions processes without birth certificates (TBS News 30/10/2019). Source: ACAPS Cox’s Bazar consistently falls short of national education targets. The district has the lowest percentage of children of primary school age enrolling in first grade, at 71% (USAID 08/10/2018). Schools across the district have a history of under-enrolment, and most heads of household have not received an education (USAID 08/10/2018). The three-year suspension of birth registration could further lower enrolment rates, particularly in the geographically remote areas of Teknaf and Ukhia, which consistently lag behind the national averages for development indicators. In Teknaf and Ukhia, the secondary and higher secondary school enrolment rates of children aged 12–18 are lower than the national average. Financial constraints are commonly cited as barriers to enrolment (GAGE 01/04/2020), and households may not be able to pay for late birth registration (along with the accompanying late fees) to access secondary and higher school certificates if their children are not already registered. The lack of birth registration makes children more vulnerable to child marriage and child labour. Cox’s Bazar has been cited as one of six districts (out of 64) with the highest incidence 3