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The IGAD Ministers in charge of education have called member states to review the IGAD Regional Education Policy Framework and update the technical and vocation education training strategy for the region to to facilitate training, capacity building, knowledge and experience sharing among member states.
This been revealed during the 4th conference on education for all, 2024 held in Entebbe, Uganda.
“Establish regional minimum education standards and targets on access and delivery of quality education for pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher education including TVET and education for people with special needs to benefit refugees, returnees and host communities in order to maximize learning outcomes. Adopt national education standards and include refugees in national systems to benefit from established standards within IGAD member states,” Lucy Daxbacher – IGAD Head of Mission to the Republic of Uganda noted.
IGAD Ministers have hence tasked the IGAD Secretariat to work with member states to coordinate and guide the implementation, monitoring and follow up of the established minimum standards for refugees, returnees and host communities.
“On regional skills development for refugees, IGAD ministers have called for local and international partners to provide sustained and increased support for infrastructure and capacity building for skills development, particularly in refugee- hosting areas,” IGAD ministers said. Fathia Alwan who representiled Workneh Gebeyehu, the Executive Secretary of IGAD at the conference noted that
in order to bridge unemployment, education policy makers have urged member states to match skills training to job opportunities in the IGAD region in order to enable access to secure livelihoods, self-reliance and dignified work for refugees as provided for in the 1951 Refugee Convention.
These have resolves to Integrate education for refugees and returnees into national education sector plans.
“There is need to enhance the capacity of IGAD member states to integrate education for refugee and returnees into national education systems, Ensure the protection of refugees in national education systems particularly refugee and returnee children and their psycho-social well-being through a multi sectoral approach,” they noted.
This is inline with the Djibouti Declaration adopted on December, 14, 2017, Addis Ababa Call for Action adopted on December, 6, 2018 on refugee education in IGAD region, and Communiqué of the third ministerial meeting adopted on March,30, 2022 in Addis Ababa, that reiterates the member states commitment to addressing the educational needs of refugees and including them into the national education system.
” On the challenges faced by Somali refugees and reintegration of returnees in Somalia, and its accompanying plan, of action, the Kampala engagement has made a declaration on jobs, livelihood and self-reliance for refugees, the comprehensive refugee response framework,” Mr. Chehem Muhamed, Djibouti education ministry representative held.