WUSC’s Commitments to Action for Refugee Education

Organizations, foundations, and institutions from around the world made their commitments to refugee education today at the High-Level Meeting on Action for Refugee Education, as part of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

The High-Level meeting brought together refugee hosting states, donor governments, multilateral institutions, and representatives from the private sector and civil society.

WUSC was there to voice our support, endorsing the Charter for Action and making commitments to advance education for all.

WUSC’s Commitments

Our overall commitments:

• WUSC will continue to work collaboratively with refugee and host communities to improve access to the full cycle of quality, inclusive education, integrated within national host country systems.
• WUSC will support pathways for all types of durable solutions that meet refugees where they are, offer them greater choice, and do not restrict their future options.
• WUSC will implement inclusive, sustainable programming that reaches refugees and host communities at scale.

Action to support the inclusion of refugees in national education systems:

WUSC commits to collaborating with host country governments to better include refugees in their national education systems. We will share evidence and ideas from our programming for the improved integration between refugee and host communities. We will advocate for greater recognition of prior learning that considers the unique backgrounds of refugees. Within our own programs, WUSC commits to the inclusion of diverse and marginalized populations within the refugee community.

Ensuring quality learning opportunities for all:

WUSC commits to improving access to and quality of secondary and post-secondary education for refugees. Recognizing that support for teachers is the most critical input to education quality, at the secondary level, we will support teachers, including refugee teachers, to strengthen their skills, for example by advocating for formal accreditation. At the post-secondary level, we will explore new partnerships that offer quality education at scale and better meet refugees’ needs, for example by leveraging technology.

Mobilising the funding to scale up quality learning for refugees:

Recognizing that refugee education is chronically underfunded, particularly at the secondary and post-secondary levels, WUSC commits to making the case for greater investment, bridging the resourcing gap within the humanitarian-development divide. We will participate in multi-sectoral efforts to fund a refugee education response at a scale that is commensurate to the size of the challenge. We will identify and mobilize innovative and untapped funding opportunities, including the contributions of diverse private actors

Expanding the number of durable solutions:

WUSC commits to expanding the number of durable solutions by advancing innovations in refugee programming and policy. WUSC will continue to mobilize the global post-secondary community to respond to refugee and host community learner needs, using education as a pathway toward improving the availability and quality of durable solutions. WUSC will continue to share its models and the knowledge we have gained from our decades of experience in expanding global opportunities for refugee protection and education.

WUSC is pleased to join the global community in working to accelerate and improve efforts to deliver quality education to refugees and to meet the promises outlined in the New York Declaration and the Global Compact on Refugees. For more details about WUSC’s commitments, and to see the commitments of other organizations, please visit https://www.actionforrefugeeeducation.net/framework-for-commitments/.