'Beyond school books'

Date: 02 Jan 2008

Source: United Nations Children's Fund


'Beyond school books'

President Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste and Dr.
Rima Salah, former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF.

NEW YORK, USA, 2 January 2008 – Providing
education to children in regions and societies
affected by conflict – or emerging from it – is a
major challenge. Yet communities in
conflict-affected areas consistently rank
education as a high priority. And they
demonstrate astounding resourcefulness and
resilience in seeking out and providing schooling for their children.

Many emergency situations around the globe are
protracted conflicts that can take years or
decades to resolve. According to 'Progress for
Children,' the comprehensive statistical review
recently published by UNICEF, more than 40 per
cent of the world's estimated 39 million refugees
and displaced persons are young people.

Growing up in precarious and volatile situations
– and suffering from a lack of teachers,
materials and schools – displaced youths are
likely to be deprived of a quality education.

Educating refugee and displaced children

As the leader of Timor-Leste, the world's
youngest democracy, President Jose Ramos-Horta is
building and developing an education sector that
must reintegrate both returning refugees and internally displaced persons.

During a recent UN Radio discussion on education
in emergencies, Mr. Ramos-Horta spoke of the
Timorese community’s attitudes about schooling
since the country gained independence.

"There is an extraordinary desire, on the part of
the parents, but also on the youth, to go to school," he said.

Development and change

Like Mr. Ramos-Horta, Dr. Rima Salah has drawn on
both her personal experience and her research as
an anthropologist to inform her work as an
advocate for the human rights of refugee populations.

"Living in a refugee camp is really different
than living in a village, because a refugee camp
is a place surrounded by walls, and they know
that they cannot go out," said Dr. Salah.

Despite living conditions and physical obstacles
in displaced communities, both Dr. Salah and Mr.
Ramos-Horta spoke of the drive and determination
of young people to get an education. The Timorese
President stressed that development and change
will be furthered "through quality education,
which will take time to come about to really make this country move forward."