Education

Refugee and asylum-seeker children can approach RRS (Refugees and Returnees Service) or other education partners in their specific location for admission to schools.

UNHCR and RRS encourage refugee children in urban centres to access and enrol in public schools.

• All refugee children and youth hosted in Ethiopia have access to the Ethiopian curriculum. In line with this, they have access to national and regional exams and certification by the Ministry of Education (MoE)/Regional Education Bureaus (REBs)

UNHCR partners provide different forms of support based on the needs of the learners, including tutorial classes for girls and those with learning difficulties in the camp settings.

Refugee and asylum-seeker children can approach RRS (Refugees and Returnees Service) or other education partners in their specific location for admission to schools.

UNHCR and RRS encourage refugee children in urban centres to access and enrol in public schools.

• All refugee children and youth hosted in Ethiopia have access to the Ethiopian curriculum. In line with this, they have access to national and regional exams and certification by the Ministry of Education (MoE)/Regional Education Bureaus (REBs)

UNHCR partners provide different forms of support based on the needs of the learners, including tutorial classes for girls and those with learning difficulties in the camp settings.

In refugee camps:

Refugee children or their families can approach education partners for enrolment in education. In addition, education partners themselves conduct awareness and back-to-school campaigns for dropped-out children and children, who have not enrolled in school.

In urban areas:

Refugee children or their families who are under the assisted population can approach DICAC for enrolment in public schools.

Language classes are provided by UNHCR partners in the urban setting. JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) provides English language classes, which can be accessed by refugees, who seek such services.

For refugees, who qualify to join public TVET, UNHCR, GIZ and RRS are currently working on supporting the Government of Ethiopia to include refugees in public TVET.

For refugees, who arrive in Ethiopia and who, prior to their arrival in Ethiopia, had reached/attained certain level/grades in primary or secondary school, RRS and education partners, in collaboration with the Regional Education Bureaus, organize placement exams for these refugees to test, whether they meet the minimum skills and knowledge required for the equivalent level/grades in Ethiopia.

In case refugee learners do not have required certificates, partners and RRS will advocate with Regional Education Bureaus (REB) for placement exams to certify that students meet the required competencies for that education level. If you are in this situation, please reach out to RRS and explain your situation.

Note that the process is the same for all levels of education.

Refugee children need to present their refugee ID or their Proof of Registration.

Refugees, who attain the minimum criteria for university admission are automatically placed in public universities. Following such placements, financial support (scholarship) opportunities are provided based on funding availability. Two scholarship opportunities, DAFI and Government (RRS), are currently available.

Scholarship opportunities for refugees can be found on UNHCR’s Opportunities website.