ADSP Study: Barriers to Access Education for Afghan Refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan
Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees for nearly four decades, with the first wave of refugees arriving in 1979, followed by subsequent influxes in 1992 and 2001. More than 4.4 million Afghans[1] sought refuge in Pakistan between 1979-2001[2], with over 3.2 million refugees in the country at the height of displacement. As a result, Pakistan has ranked as the world’s top refugee hosting country for 22 out of the past 37 years. In addition, approximately 3.9 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, following the largest ever voluntary repatriation programme in UNHCR’s history[3].
As of 31 June 2021, Pakistan was hosting 1.44 million registered refugees4. Of this number, approximately 1.43 million are Afghan refugees who hold a Proof of Registration (POR) card. The majority of these Afghan refugees live in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The primary research was conducted in four districts namely Peshawar, Nowshehra, Kohat and Haripur (see map below).
An overwhelming majority (80 percent) of Afghan refugees are out of school. The remaining 20 percent of Afghan refugee children are attending public or private schools. Lack of identity documentation, a pressure to earn money to support their families, language problems, and poverty are just some of the reasons that keep refugee children out of school[5].
Education is a fundamental right for all human beings, as set out in Article 28 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child[6]. The Government of Pakistan (GoP) has committed to providing education for all, including refugee children, as enshrined in Article 25A of the Pakistani Constitution. This was reaffirmed in the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2012 that was adopted by Pakistan’s National Assembly that stipulated “every child, regardless of sex, nationality or race, shall have a fundamental right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school[7]”.
Pakistan has the second-highest population of out-of-school children in the world, with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 not attending school. This represents 44 percent of the total population in this age group not receiving an education[8]. Amongst international partners, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the primary agency assisting Afghan refugees living in Pakistan to access education facilities – primarily inside the refugee villages[9]. UNHCR continue to assist students in obtaining quality education through the provision of textbooks, learning materials and uniforms, as well as scholarship support for those seeking higher education. UNHCR also supports teachers’ salaries, education advisors and support staff (but does not support school property rentals in refugee villages nor the salaries of school watchmen).
This study aims to assess the existing barriers to accessing education for Afghan refugees living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The research is aligned with and will support in advancing the objectives of the Global Compact for Refugees and the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) in the region. Further, it will help to improve programming by development stakeholders, as well as provide recommendations to donors, UNHCR, and government stakeholders for designing future education programs for Afghan refugees.
The full report can be found here.
The short version of the report can be found here.