Jane Mann is managing director at Cambridge Partnership for Education
October 12, 2022
Every child has a right to an education. But this right is violated as children around the world are forced to flee their homes as a result of natural disasters, conflicts and emergencies. It could be years before these children have any access to learning. Many find themselves simply excluded from education for the long term.
According to the UN, only 34 per cent of refugee children enrol in secondary school. This figure is a startling reminder of how children continue to bear the brunt of ongoing crises. The war in Ukraine has meant that nearly 7.5 million children are facing unprecedented disruption in their lessons. Save the Children reports that an average of 22 schools come under attack every day and, as Unicef has found, 55 children flee the country every minute.
Only 63 per cent of refugee children go to primary school. And studies have shown that as refugee children get older, access to education becomes harder. Reports suggest that more than 75 per cent of Syrian refugee children drop out of school before reaching the secondary level.
Language barriers, unfamiliar subject material, lack of access to resources, poor funding and general declines in well-being threaten vulnerable children’s schooling. Despite calls for aid and a global commitment to give these children a second chance, they continue to struggle with basic access to the necessary building blocks for a quality education.
If we don’t address this crisis early, we miss a series of inter-connected opportunities. Education is directly linked to social development and economic growth. Empowering even a single child with an education means that they have the means to build their skills, live independently, be financially self-reliant and contribute to their communities.
It could be years before these children have any access to learning
Education and literacy can unlock hope for thousands of displaced refugees around the world. Refugee children, like all other children their age, want to go to school. They have dreams to become doctors and journalists, engineers and actors. Unfortunately, too many are disappointed by systemic failures.
Nations must come together urgently and strategically to give them hope for the future. Some of the most obvious needs to address include access to quality materials, including textbooks, online resources and examinations that allow for progression.
Each of these areas should be dealt with thoughtfully. For example, learners living through conflict need access to well-constructed, edited and sensitively designed textbooks. Textbooks can be an opportunity to introduce peace-building capabilities. For a generation that has known extreme violence, displacement and conflict, well-designed learning materials could help plant seeds of hope for a better future.
An underestimated and pressing concern today is a smooth transition into other education systems. Displaced children need to be able to continue their learning journey – building on what they have learned already and opening opportunities for further education in the future. In Bangladesh, Cambridge Partnership for Education and Unicef have adopted a holistic approach to develop an education programme for Rohingya refugee children, to help them re-integrate into the education system.
In the UAE, the Dubai Government announced an initiative to provide education to 1 million refugees over the next five years. This will bring digital learning to displaced and underprivileged children via tie-ups with leading universities. The programme aims to reduce the number of children out of school using the training and online learning methodologies. It is important that the initiative is considering accreditation so the pupil’s diploma is recognised, and they can continue their learning journey.
Unicef's goodwill ambassador Muzoon Almellehan takes part in a mathematics accelerated learning class with 10-year-old Shahed in Amman, Jordan, in August. Unicef
Digital learning has rapidly scaled up post-pandemic but is still making its way into refugee communities. Displaced learners – who were already suffering from lack of access to conventional learning resources – struggled during the pandemic without any access to digital infrastructure and devices.
There is an urgent need for a focused approach to learning among refugee children. More investments are needed to bridge the digital divide, close critical gaps in refugee education and integrate these children into the national infrastructure.
Over the past two years, something called the Learning Passport has reached 2.2 million people in 23 countries. It is a special platform to enable access to continuous quality education online and offline. Born from a partnership between Unicef, Microsoft and Cambridge, it specifically targets children and young people who are out of school. It provides a record of learning for each pupil, so it can be taken across physical and digital borders.
It’s not an easy journey as refugee children still struggle for access to basic learning resources. However, initiatives such as Dubai’s Digital School for refugee children and the Learning Passport could be catalysts for further investments and a shift to new approaches.
The international community is turning to face what is set to become one of the biggest challenges of the century – re-integrating displaced communities as a result of forced mass migration. There is no simple solution to the problem, but a cohesive and sensitive approach to people who have suffered unimaginable loss is a good start.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
PSL FINAL
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
What are the influencer academy modules?
Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
Cinematography, shots and movement.
All aspects of post-production.
Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
