a
i
WATCH
DECEMBER 2019
ISBN: 978-1-6231-37861
“Are We Not Human?”:
Denial of Education to Rohingya Refugee Children
in Bangladesh
SUMMMALSY .......cccssssccnssccsscccesscnsscenssscnesseeesceensssseesccessconssssaescouesseeesscnessseesssoessenessesesseneseseoes 1
Rohingya Access to ECUuCAtION ............cssscssscccesscnessccesseccssccessccessecessenessecessenessecessenessenessenesseness 3
Denial of Education Justified by Threatened Repatriation to MYANMAT ............csssscccnsssccensees 6
Current Plans for Rohingya Children Fail to Fulfill Their Right to Education ................ccssseeee 8
Challenges in Ensuring EGUCAtION.............ccccsssscccsssccccssscccessscccnsssccceesscseesscsseasscseuesscseeeseees 9
What Needs to Be DOne..............ccsssscccsssscccnsssccccnsscccessecccassecccenseccsensceceasscecensesseeesessseeseees 11
RECOMMENCALIONS .............cssssccenssscccsssscesescccusescecesescccesceceaescccussscceuuseceneussceusesceeuuescenees 14
To the Government of Bangladesh: ............:cssssccsssseccccssecccsssecccssccccesecscassscecenscsccanscsscusscesenees 14
To UNICEF and the humanitarian education Sector in Cox’S BaZale..........cccscosscsssccssccsscesccesceess 15
To International Donors to the Rohingya Refugee Response in Bangladesh:..............cccsseccseees 15
Methodology...........cscccsssscccssssccnsssccensssscessscceeessceneuscccueescecuusscccussecccessccceeessceeasscceeassceeees 17
Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh before AUQUSt 2017 ......ceecsssnneessssseeceeseeeseeocceesssseeesssseeseoes 19
Barriers to Education for Rohingya Children in Myanmar .............ccssscccsssscccssscccesssccceessceeeeseees 21
Lack of Education for Bangladeshi Children in Cox’sS BaZar...........cssscccssssccccssscccceseccceseececeeeees 26
ll. Barriers to Rohingya Children’s Right to EAUCAtION ...............cssecccssssssccceeessscecccnansssceeees 29
Ban on Formal, Certified EdUCAation ............cssssccsssscecssssccccsssceceesscecessceccessseneesesecavsvcecesseneessses 30
Initial Humanitarian EduUCAatiON RESPONSE ...........cccessscccsssscccssccccsscccessccceesscseessseseaeseesoes 34
Lack ofa Formal Curriculum for All Grades. ...........ccssscosssccnesccnsscenescesscenescenescenesceeesceecscens 35
An “Informal,” Inadequate Curriculum ............ccsssccsssccsssccnssccssceussccussccussceussceussceussceuescess 37
Discrimination in HOUTrS Of INStrUCTION.............cccsssconssccnssccnssccnsscensscenseccnsecensscensscensecensecens 39
CONCEMNS OVEF QUALITY ...........ccccccsssssscccceesssscccceeesssccecceasessceceuasssscceeueeesseceseuaseeeceseuaseseceses 40
Delays in Approval and Implementation..............sccssscssssccsssccnsscenssccnssccnsecensscensecensecensscens 41
Large Age Ranges in ClasS ............cccccsssscccsssccccessecccsssceccsscccensececansecccansceccnsesseeesssseascesees 42