UNICEF announces suspension of Rohingya children’s primary education

Its Bangladesh representative says the decision was forced by a funding crisis

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that it will be forced to stop the Rohingya children’s education, coinciding with a three-day conference in Cox’s Bazar that aims to draw global attention to the plight of the refugees.

UNICEF’s Bangladesh representative Rana Flowers, citing a failure to address the dire financial crisis, said education for about 150,000 children, ranging from kindergarten to fourth grade, has been stopped.

As a result, these children are no longer able to attend primary school.

She said, “Some other organisations are working in the camp. If they receive financial assistance, we hope they will make arrangements to teach these children.

“From there, they will be admitted to the higher classes still being taught by UNICEF.”

Additionally, the education programme that had been previously introduced will no longer include English, which Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman has called “against Bangladesh’s policy”.

Responding to the concern, Flowers said: “It is not against policy. We intend to teach all subjects. English has been suspended due to the financial crisis. Since children are learning their own language at the primary level, a second language will be introduced in the higher grades.”

On dismissed Bangladeshi teachers, she said: “Although 1,179 teachers have lost their jobs due to the severe funding crisis, another 1,370 Bangladeshi teachers are working here. Therefore, there was no question of dismissing Bangladeshi teachers while retaining Rohingya teachers.

“There are 3,873 Rohingya teachers working as volunteers in the refugee camps, but many of them have not received their salaries due to a lack of funding.”