Ultimately, thousands of children will be forced out of school and into Madrassah’s, religious seminaries, whose credentials are not accepted in either Pakistan or Afghanistan for gainful employment purposes or onto the streets to beg, steal, engage in hazardous labour or prostitute themselves to survive.

...It costs just US$36 a year to give a refugee child an education

“’To feel at home’, is the UNHCR theme for this year’s World Refugee Day on 20 June. The international community must join hands with the Government of Pakistan and UNHCR to ensure that all Afghan refugee children have access to education and ‘feel at home’ in Pakistan,” said Sigurd Hanson, National Director for World Vision in Pakistan.

“While the needs of refugees are great, it costs just US$36 a year to give a refugee child an education,” adds Hanson.

A recent UNHCR-funded population census indicates more than three million Afghans still remain in Pakistan, about 1.8 million of them in the North West Frontier Province living both in refugee camps and in urban areas.

Despite substantial repatriation in recent years, the impact on refugee camp school enrolments has been relatively negligible. During 2005, UNHCR aims to repatriate 400,000 Afghans, which based on past trends means a reduction of only 3,000 students in camp schools.

The Government of Pakistan and UNHCR also recognise the importance of education to equip Afghan children with knowledge, skills and a sense of self-worth so that they can face the harsh and difficult task of returning home to rebuild their lives and country.

‘Education for All, and ‘Inclusive Education’, both promoted and under implementation by the United Nations, include refugee children, who constitute one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups and who live at the mercy of host countries, humanitarian agencies and donors.

World Vision Pakistan wants to see ‘Education for All’ a reality in Pakistan and respond to the request by the Government of Pakistan’s Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) to facilitate securing additional donor funding that is critical to help educate refugee camp children during this funding crisis.

Basic Education for Afghan Refugees (BEFARe) requires approximately US$600,000 to maintain the same sound quality of education and ensure that 20,000 students at risk of being forced out of school have the opportunity to receive a primary school education.

BEFARe, an off-shoot of the German GTZ as the main implementing partner of UNHCR has been providing education to over 100,000 camp refugee children since 1996 – the largest refugee education program worldwide.

The budget cuts oblige BEFARe to cut its support per student, per school year from US$35.90 in 2003 to US$21.11 in 2005.

We know the alternatives facing Afghan refugee children when they don’t go to school

“This is not about supplying funding for deficits. This is about Afghan girls and boys and their futures. We know the alternatives facing Afghan refugee children when they don’t go to school”, said Hanson.

“UNHCR, international agencies and donors recognise the Government of Pakistan's aggressive leadership in seeking immediate solutions to this crisis”, he added.

Last year, BEFARe had 2,500 trained teachers on its payroll. The programme will rehire and retrain teachers that have been laid off due to budget cuts once additional funding becomes available.

Administration costs will be reduced and teacher-student ratios will be increased within manageable limits.

“We look forward to working with you in this noble task of educating the young who are the hope for a future stable and prosperous Afghanistan,” said CAR Chief Commissioner, Jehangir Khan.

In 2004 BEFARe distributed ‘Gift-in-Kind’ donated by World Vision US, on behalf of World Vision Pakistan.

Currently, World Vision Pakistan in coordination with BEFARe is developing teaching materials for master trainers in a pilot project to train BEFARe teachers in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

-Ends-

Note: This appeal addresses only primary refugee camp schools. A similar dire funding situation also confronts the post primary refugee camp schools.

Photo: Kevin Cook (World Vision)