Equitable Access to Quality Education for Internally Displaced Children

The exact number of children living in internal displacement worldwide is unknown but estimated at over 17 million worldwide as a result of conflict and violence, with millions more as a result of disasters. Too many internally displaced children grow up deprived of an education and the long-term opportunities it affords. Access to quality inclusive education brings significant economic, social and health benefits to displaced and host communities alike.

Ensuring access to national education systems for internally displaced children is vital, provided it is safe to do so. Far greater priority needs to be given, and efforts and investment devoted, to minimizing the disruption to education that internal displacement causes, while maximizing the potential protection and other vital support that schools provide for their displaced pupils.

This policy brief explores the challenges that internally displaced children face accessing education and provides recommendations for governments, humanitarian and development actors to implement.