DOT Desk: Against the odds of displacement, fires burning down learning centres, and Cyclone Mocha’s wrath, classrooms in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh filled up yesterday with children, excited on the first day of school, reports Dhaka Tribune.
Thanks to expanded education opportunities for teenagers and girls, a record 300,000 children are enrolled for the 2023-24 school year. The new academic year marks the first time that Rohingya refugee children of all ages will be studying under the Myanmar Curriculum, said a press release issued yesterday.Since its launch in 2021, this formal curriculum has gradually been expanded with grades 3-5 and grade 10 opening today for the first time in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, significantly increasing learning opportunities for both older and younger children.“Rohingya refugee children want to learn, and to turn their hopes and dreams for a better future to actual potential.” said Sheldon Yett, Unicef Representative to Bangladesh. “The single most important ingredient for ensuring a safe and dignified return of these children to Myanmar is ensuring that they can continue their education while they are here in Bangladesh.