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Certification of the learning attainments of refugee and internally displaced students: IRC experience in West Africa
Refugee education programs in Guinea: 1991-2005
– Large scale programs for Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees
• Primary & Secondary education• Additional activities – social clubs etc
– Average annual program budget (1991-2005): $1.2m
– Average refugee student pop (1991-2005): 50 410
– Large scale teacher ed, support and development • Teacher training• Classroom support and supervision • Classroom assistants
IRC Guinea Refugee Schools Student Enrolment Totals: 1990-2006
12,000
26,296
57,149
15,079
26,733
57,415
67,554
81,312
7,325
60,799
48,761
38,826
54,430
27,989
28,64826,446
69,919
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Note: All figures are December year end statistics except 2000 (J uly figure from when schools closed) and 2006 (October)
Num
ber
of
Students
Enro
lled
1991:
• Harmonized curriculum + teacher training + grades conversion chart
• Discussions with MoE & WAEC in Liberia and S L; Liberia more successful than Sierra Leone.
1992-1998:
• WAEC Liberia exams in Guinea at Grade 9 & 12; (5051 students (2258 G9; 2793 G12))
• Resistance from SL; Sts sit Liberian WAEC, but repeat final years & re-sit WAEC SL.
1998:
• Dialogue with MoEs (SL & Liberia) on teacher certification. MoE Liberia agrees, MoE SL not
1999-2003:
• Charles Taylor reneges on WAEC Liberia in Guinea. IRC grad certificates unrecognized
• Conflict in Liberia, but teacher training continues
March 2002:
• Teacher training for SL teachers with S L distance ed modules, and S L teacher educators. Repatriating teachers complete the remaining modules for certification. Programme suspended
2004
• With MoE Guinea support, MoE Lib WAEC exams in 2004 &5 (Grads: 1166 in 04, 2261 in 05).
• MoE S L allows private student registration for returnees
• Renegotiation with MoE Liberia on teacher ed.
2005
• MoU with MoE Liberia for ‘C’ certification of teachers in Guinea
• 472 Liberian teachers graduate, in presence of Minister of Education of Liberia.
Key Issues
• Language, ethnicity and identity– Anglophone refugees in Guinea
(francophone) and Sierra Leone (anglophone)
• Government policies and capacities: – Separate negotiations with MoEs and WAEC– Student certification approved in Liberia –then reneged – Challenges with Sierra Leonean authorities
• Length of displacement: informal -> increasing formality
• Fees, family finances and access
1
Strengths • Supporting refugee education in very
different host community contexts• Maintaining student progress in familiar
system• Familiar to parents and community• Building on teachers’ prior experience• Building teacher and administrator
capacity • Maintaining hope for rapid return• Strengthening national identity• Easy reintegration and application of
learning to reconstruction processes (teachers and students)
Limitations• Significant cost implications• Depends on agreements with host MoE• Susceptible to political changes• May not meet some of new learning
needs (e.g. safety and security life-skills, host community language)
• Refugee-host community relations
Facilitation of cross-border examinations for IDP and refugees students
Strengths
•Ownership from MoE•Relationships and cohesion between host and displaced populations•Access to host services, opportunities etc. (e.g. higher education)•Opportunities to strengthen host system - esp school supervision, CAs, teacher ed•Technical support provided from host education system (e.g. teacher training, school supervision)
Limitations
•Requires system compatibility•Requires good inter-community relations•Requires political commitment, financial and human resources for ‘absorption’ •Challenges/ barriers for refugee teachers•Resistance from teachers•May perpetuate inequities/ perceptions of superiority of one system over another•Possible compromises in relevance
Facilitation of host country school access and examinations for refugees students
West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC)
• Established 1952 with MoEs Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria, Sierra-Leone, Gambia
• Liberia joined in 1974.
• Original ordinances replaced with WAEC Convention as international organization
• No mandate or policies for refugee certification
Cross border exam facilitation• WAEC responded to 1991 request to create exam centres in
refugee schools in Guinea
• Initially working through MoE Liberia.
• Challenges: – Political challenges, delicate balance between national
politics and regional collab– Government of Sierra Leone not supporting WAEC; policy
to promote refugee return – Practical challenges: security exam papers, financial
constraints to travel and cross-border exam facilitation. – Legitimacy of refugee learning questioned
1991:
• Harmonized curriculum + teacher training + grades conversion chart
• Discussions with MoE & WAEC in Liberia and S L; Liberia more successful than Sierra Leone.
1992-1998:
• WAEC Liberia exams in Guinea at Grade 9 & 12; (5051 students (2258 G9; 2793 G12))
• Resistance from SL; Sts sit Liberian WAEC, but repeat final years & re-sit WAEC SL.
1998:
• Dialogue with MoEs (SL & Liberia) on teacher certification. MoE Liberia agrees, MoE SL not
1999-2003:
• Charles Taylor reneges on WAEC Liberia in Guinea. IRC grad certificates unrecognized
• Conflict in Liberia, but teacher training continues
March 2002:
• Teacher training for SL teachers with S L distance ed modules, and S L teacher educators. Repatriating teachers complete the remaining modules for certification. Programme suspended
2004
• With MoE Guinea support, MoE Lib WAEC exams in 2004 &5 (Grads: 1166 in 04, 2261 in 05).
• MoE S L allows private student registration for returnees
• Renegotiation with MoE Liberia on teacher ed.
2005
• MoU with MoE Liberia for ‘C’ certification of teachers in Guinea
• 472 Liberian teachers graduate, in presence of Minister of Education of Liberia.
‘Transferable’ host community certification
• WAEC and MoE Sierra Leone certification for Liberian children in host community schools.
• Students registered in host schools. IRC paid exam fees
• WAEC Liberia validates certificates for higher education
• SL WAEC exams respected over Liberian exams, so no validation/ recognition issues for returnees to schools
• WAEC Ghana exams for Liberian students in Ghana
• WAEC Ghana exams highly regarded and no validation/ recognition issues for returnees
Opportunities for some who missed out
• WAEC Sierra Leone certification possibilities for those who missed out (graduates 1999-2003)
• Registration as private candidates to sit for exams
• No pre-requisites required
• But time and economic challenges: – Exam fees (approximately 102 000 Leones per student
– 1 school year for continuous assessment