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