Evaluation of Progress of the Inclusion of Refugees in National Education Systems in the IGAD Member States

Evaluation

Key Aid Consulting in partnership with Meraki Lab conducted the evaluation of the evaluation of the Djibouti Declaration (DD), which is a non-binding regional level instrument towards quality education for refugees and host communities spearheaded by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and undertaken by seven Member States (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda).
The evaluation design was non-experimental and used a case study approach. A perception-based approach was chosen due to evidence that policymaking and policy implementation processes are strongly dependent on perceptions and consensus building; this approach also supported a more in-depth analysis of drivers of and obstacles to progress. Data collection took place in all IGAD states and involved 191 key informant interviews, three participatory workshops and a live desk review process that included analysis of several databases.

The evaluation of the Djibouti Declaration highlights key strides and challenges in integrating refugees into national education systems across IGAD Member States:

Successes:

  • Strong political will sustained at regional and national levels.
  • Legal frameworks in all IGAD states now support refugee inclusion.
  • Refugees are included in National Education Sector Plans, with costed plans in place.
  • IGAD developed a regional qualifications framework and piloted teacher training modules.

Challenges:

  • Full integration of refugee schools into national systems remains incomplete.
  • Refugee teachers face barriers to inclusion in national education systems.
  • Financing gaps hinder implementation; no IGAD state has sufficient fiscal capacity to support refugee learners.
  • International support lacks sufficient alignment, long-term commitment, and accountability.

Way Forward:

  • Strengthen financing mechanisms that address both governance and recurrent costs.
  • Improve school governance, management systems, and monitoring practices.
  • Foster better coordination between national and international actors for sustainable inclusion

Client

UNHCR

Countries

Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

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