Uganda has launched an education response plan (ERP) aimed at skilling all school-going children in the various refugee settlement areas in the country as well as host communities.
Janet Museveni, Minister of Education and Sports, who launched the second phase of the project late Wednesday, said it will benefit about 674,895 learners per year.
“Our vision is to significantly enhance learning outcomes and skills training for children and youth in refugee-hosting areas,” the minister said.
She added, “I commend the resilience of our host communities in their steadfast support. Together, we can ensure equitable access to quality education for all.”
According to Mrs Museveni, the first education program launched in 2018-2021 saw remarkable progress, “with the gross enrolment ratio of refugees in primary and secondary schools rising substantially.” The enrollment of refugee learners in primary schools, for instance, grew from 58.2 percent in 2018 to 88.5 percent in 2021.
Munir Safieldin, the United Nations Children’s Fund country representative, commended Uganda for hosting refugees and planning for them holistically.
“We are pleased to see some improvements in their learning achievements during Phase I of the ERP and are confident that the second phase of the ERP will carry more positive news,” Safieldin said.
According to the UN, Uganda hosts about 1.5 million refugees, mostly from South Sudan, and also from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi.
