SIFE: Students with Interrupted Formal Education
Data from UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report, released today, shows that almost 70.8 million people are now forcibly displaced. To put this in perspective, this is double the level of 20 years ago, 2.3 million more than a year ago, and corresponds to a population between that of Thailand and Turkey.
Within the 70.8 million figure in the Global Trends report are three main groups.
The first is refugees, meaning people forced to flee their country because of conflict, war or persecution. In 2018, the number of refugees reached 25.9 million worldwide, 500,000 more than in 2017. Included in this total are 5.5 million Palestine refugees who are under the care of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The second group is asylum seekers – people outside their country of origin and receiving international protection, but awaiting the outcome of their claim to refugee status. At the end of 2018 there were 3.5 million asylum seekers globally.
The third and biggest group, at 41.3 million, is people displaced to other areas within their own country, a category commonly referred to as Internally Displaced People or IDPs.
In 2018, every second refugee was a child, many (111,000) alone and without their families.
When we think of schools across the globe…
One category of students has some of the greatest instructional – and social and emotional – needs.
These Students with Interrupted Formal Education, or SIFE, have limited or no experience with education in their home countries and, in nearly all cases, have experienced trauma.
I visited school districts in Nashville a few months ago to find out how they were managing the 1000 new Engligh learners annually many of whom have experienced trauma. Find out more https://selforteachers.org/metro-nashville-public-schools/
UNICEF and Microsoft have joined forces to tackle the education crisis affecting children and young people on the move.
Under the partnership, UNICEF and Microsoft will develop a ‘learning passport’ – a digital, personalized platform that will ensure displaced children and young people can continue their studies and have their achievements recorded, wherever they are.
When a child or young person’s education is disrupted the consequences can last a lifetime, making it difficult for them to sit exams, gain the certificates that validate their learning and skills, and ultimately, find work as adults.
Full blog from Microsoft here
More from UNICEF here
