Are Refugee Children Learning? Early Grade Literacy in a Refugee Camp in Kenya

 

Summary

In the first literacy census in a refugee camp, the authors assessed all the schools providing lower primary education to refugee children in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. The outcomes for these students were concerningly low, even lower than for those of children in the also marginalized host community, Turkana County.

Literacy outcomes differed among the refugee children, depending on their country of origin, the language of instruction used at the school in Kenya, the languages spoken at home, and the children’s self-professed expectation of a return to their country of origin.

Key Takeaways

We offer the following practical steps and actions based on this research below (click to expand).

+ For Policymakers


INSIGHTS ACTIONS
Literacy outcomes of refugee students attending Kenyan national schools were among the lowest seen in any similar study in low- and middle-income countries. ➟ Increase investments in teacher training and learning resources that can foster greater literacy among refugee students.
Refugees in Kakuma refugee camp access education in Turkana County, where nationals themselves have been underserved by their public education system. Literacy outcomes among nationals in Turkana County are among the lowest across Kenya. ➟ Focus on equity in learning opportunities for both refugee students and national students in marginalized areas.
English is one of the two official languages of instruction in Kenya, yet it is an unfamiliar language for refugee students and many of their teachers. ➟ Provide effective professional development opportunities to enable teachers of refugees to develop the skills and knowledge they need to address refugee students’ differentiated learning and language needs.

+ For Educators


INSIGHTS ACTIONS
Early literacy outcomes for refugee students in Kakuma were considerably lower than Kenyan nationals in all fluency measures in both English and Kiswahili. Following displacement, refugee students’ home language(s) and language(s) of previous schooling are likely to affect literacy and learning. ➟ To design effective pedagogical methods, account for refugee students’ different language backgrounds. Consider implementing teaching practices such as translanguaging, a strategy that enables teachers to continue to build students’ confidence and fluency in their home language(s), while also exposing them to the national language(s) used in schools.
Findings demonstrated that literacy outcomes in English and Kiswahili differed by country of origin. ➟ Design instructional practices that are informed by both students’ and their parents’ educational histories. Avoid considering refugee students as one homogenous group of learners.

+ For Researchers


FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE:
  • The ways in which children’s experiences before and during exile may influence their learning in refugee settings;

  • How teachers use language as an instructional tool in multilingual settings that include refugees;

  • Refugee students’ and families’ perceptions of language and education in exile in relation to their futures, and how this affects their investment in education.
Additional reading

Citation (APA): Piper, B., Chopra, V., Dryden-Peterson, S., Reddick, C., & Oyanga, A. (2020). Are refugees learning? Early grade literacy outcomes in a refugee camp in Kenya. Journal on Education in Emergencies, 5(2), 71-107.

 
Quality EducationSarah Dryden-PetersonFor Researchers, For Policymakers, Curriculum, Equity, Integration, Language