Nakivale (Uganda) : rising school fees worry refugees

The increase in school fees in primary and secondary schools in Nakivale camp is causing serious concern among refugees. This increase of 5,000 Uganda shillings per pupil, bringing the quarterly tuition fee to 22,000 shillings, is a direct consequence of the European Union’s withdrawal of funding from NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council), a Norwegian NGO that supported education in the camp.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

This is a crisis caused by a lack of funding.

For several years, NRC has funded nine additional teachers in thirteen schools, thus enabling a greater number of refugee children to have access to education. “Thanks to this aid, Kashojwa Primary School was enrolling over 4,000 pupils, whereas officially, it should only be 200,” said a Burundian refugee parent.

With the suspension of this funding, teachers paid by the NRC were put on forced leave, forcing school principals to review their strategies to maintain the quality of education.

“This increase in school fees aims to fill the financial gap and keep teachers employed,” explained the principal of Kashojwa Primary School during a meeting with parents.

A shock for refugees’ families

In the Nakivale camp, home to over 140,000 refugees of various nationalities – including approximately 33,000 Burundians – the decision to increase school fees is not going down well. Families, already in a precarious situation, believe it is unfair to have to pay for public schools.

“How can we be asked to pay while we are refugees in a country that has granted us asylum? We are vulnerable, and instead of helping us, we are being imposed additional costs!” protests one parent.

Serious consequences for the future of young people

Educators fear dramatic repercussions on children’s education. “With this increase, the school dropout rate could exceed 50%,” warns a teacher. He also fears a rise in teenage pregnancies, forced marriages, and drug use among young people left to fend for themselves.

Faced with this crisis, refugees are urgently appealing to humanitarian NGOs and authorities to find a lasting solution and avoid an educational disaster in Nakivale.

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Part of the Nakivale camp in Uganda (SOS Médias Burundi)