Empowering Futures: Overcoming Educational Barriers for Adolescents in Cox’s Bazar
This policy brief highlights findings from the ERICC formative research study titled ‘Access and continuity of quality education for older adolescent boys and girls in the refugee camp and host community of Cox’s Bazar’.
That study identifies: (1) the key stakeholders involved in creating education opportunities for older adolescents and girls in Cox’s Bazar; (2) the technical and vocational opportunities that are available to older adolescents and girls in Cox’s Bazar; (3) the determinants influencing school dropout rates among adolescents in both refugee and host communities in Cox’s Bazar; (4) the expectations and life goals of adolescents and girls in Cox’s Bazar.
The study emphasises the skills deemed valuable by the adolescents and their parents; the opportunities for and barriers to skills development, and the formal and non-formal educational pathways available for re-engagement in schooling for that group. A number of barriers have been identified as the main reasons for school dropout, especially for girls. These include early marriage, gender norms surrounding domestic responsibilities, safety issues, and financial constraints.
The recommendations of the study point to the need to address such barriers, particularly among the Rohingya refugee community, focusing on five key areas that are:
- Expand technical and vocational education training (TVET) programmes
- Enhance access to formal secondary education
- Strengthen school capacity and aligning non-formal education
- Provide targeted financial support
- Introduce community-based income-generation programmes