Exploring the Challenges of Refugee Camp Education: Kakuma and Buduburam Refugee Camp

Abstract

According to recent estimates, less than half of all refugee children of primary or secondary school age currently attend school. Compare that to global figures, where 91 percent of children attend primary school and 84 percent of children attend secondary school, and that figure is vastly underwhelming. Existing refugee camp literature acknowledges that refugee camps tend to restrict the ability of children to achieve an education, but it fails to address the specific factors preventing children from gaining access to education. The goal of this research is to explore the challenges faced when educating children in a refugee camp setting from the teacher's perspective, using a qualitative, semi-structured interview approach for data collection. The original research proposal was to collect data from both Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana and compare the findings. Unfortunately, not enough interviews were collected from Buduburam to compare the findings, so while this thesis will briefly mention the research conducted in relation to Buduburam, the bulk of this thesis focuses on Kakuma.

The qualitative coding and analysis process uncovered five primary themes: (1) lacking financial support and educational resources; (2) conflict-induced hardship; (3) culture and background hindering educational efforts; (4) lacking parental guidance and resources at home; and (5) struggling with the physical environment. This thesis first provides an overview of available refugee camp literature. It then outlines the research methods employed to capture the desired data, followed by a discussion and analysis of the findings. It concludes by addressing possible solutions to the issues faced in refugee camp education settings while discussing future research considerations.