The International Centre for Refugee & Migrant Studies (ICRMS) in collaboration with SCSPEB, UNHCR and BUITEMS arranged a policy dialogue titled EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES: LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND EFFECTS OF CURRICULUM CHANGES ON AFGHAN SCHOOL TEACHERS on 11th September 2024. The objective of this policy dialogue was to create a multifaceted collaborative approach towards the issues faced by the refugee teachers and pupils in terms of linguistic capabilities. The dialogue was attended by Ms Rahila Durrani, Minister of Education Balochistan, Commissioner Afghan Refugees Mr Arbab Talib-ul-Maula, The Attaché Education Afghan Consulate Mr Wali Rohani, members of UNHCR and partner organisations, PITE, Balochistan Education Forum, Board of Curriculum, Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor BUITEMS, members of academia, principals and students of the refugee community.
The discussion highlighted the following issues:
1. The phase wise shift of the Refugee Villages’s schools has been swift and welcomed by the community. However, the otherwise pedagogically skilled teachers are facing linguistic challenges in conducting the transition effectively.
2. The new curriculum poses many challenges for not only refugee students and teachers, but the rural communities in Balochistan as well in terms of recognitive justice, relatability, content and communication.
3. There is need for fostering a policy such that atleast the teachers and students can be facilitated by education stakeholders to ensure language development.
The recommendations that came from the forum included the following salient points:
1. The curriculum needs to be revisited to address the issues related to curriculum dilution, recognitive justice and components in general and for refugee pupils in particular.
2. Efforts need to be taken to register and align the refugee schools to ensure that the teachers are brought up to speed and the children do not drop out due to poverty, lack of motivation or uncertainty about the future.
3. Training mechanisms should be based on Teachers’ need analysis rather than set patterns in pedagogical skills.
4. The refugee teachers need to receive effective, time sensitive and inclusive trainings to cope with the burden of language barriers
Resources need to be created for swift learning in actionable and meaningful ways for resolutions.
5. There is a need for involving universities and experts from HEIs in the process of brainstorming in order to find easier solutions.
After listening to the discussion by various experts and stakeholders, the Minister of Education Balochistan decreed creation of a committee composed of university researchers, UNHCR and partner organisations, Commissioner of Afghan Refugee’s office and Afghan consulate to address the issues facing the refugee and migrant community in Balochistan. She further stated that constitutionally, morally, religiously and being humans it is incumbent upon us as the host nation to ensure dissemination of education and other human rights to our displaced guests.
The session ended with a general air of hope in the forthcoming committee meetings on the issue, resonated by the Senior Protection Officer UNHCR, Mr. Arkadiy Leybovskiy in his closing remarks.