Pantho Rahaman
Cox’s Bazar, 26 June 2025:
Massive foreign aid cutbacks, including a drastic reduction by the United States, have deepened the education crisis for nearly 437,000 Rohingya children in refugee camps across Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch warned today.
Following a major funding shortfall, UNICEF suspended thousands of learning centers run by NGOs on June 3, leaving the majority of school-age children with no formal education access. The closures have left community-led schools—operated by Rohingya refugees themselves—as the only functioning educational spaces, though they remain unrecognized by the government and receive no donor support.
“The US and other donor governments are abandoning education for Rohingya children after years of obstruction by Bangladesh’s previous government,” said Bill Van Esveld, Associate Children’s Rights Director at Human Rights Watch. “The interim government now has a chance to reverse this by upholding every child’s right to education.”
Rohingya-run schools are widely regarded by parents and teachers as higher-quality than the now-suspended learning centers. These community-led institutions employ more qualified teachers and provide subject-specific instruction. However, they charge modest tuition fees—ranging from $0.50 to $5 per month—which many families cannot afford.
“Parents want to send kids to community-led schools, but if they can’t afford the fees, the only alternative is poor-quality centers—or child labor,” said one refugee parent. Some students are forced to abandon education altogether due to costs and lack of certification, which undermines their long-term prospects.
Bangladesh’s interim government does not currently recognize these community-run schools, blocking them from receiving support from humanitarian agencies. Teachers warn that without certification, even students who finish class 12 cannot prove their qualifications—impacting their future in Myanmar or elsewhere.
The risk to children’s safety is also growing. Violence, gang recruitment, and child abductions have spiked in the Cox’s Bazar camps, with 51 child abductions reported in early 2025 alone. Lack of safe access to schools further isolates children and leaves them vulnerable.
Human Rights Watch has urged the interim government to officially recognize and accredit community-led schools and allow Rohingya children to enroll in schools outside the camps. The organization also called on donors to fund these community efforts and include Rohingya educators in education planning.
“There’s still time to prevent a lost generation,” said Van Esveld. “But it will require donors and the government to act now—by listening to Rohingya voices and supporting their right to learn.”
Source: Human Rights Watch
