Scaling refugee teacher inclusion models for enhanced agency and well-being

Refugee teachers serve varied and vital functions within their communities whilst under acute professional uncertainty due to their inability to acquire qualifications that will be recognised in the host country. The lack of recognised training for refugee teachers can have a negative impact on their own motivation and agency, as well as on retention, teaching quality and learning outcomes for refugee children and youth.

This project is generating and mobilising evidence about how to effectively scale three models of inclusion to recognize refugee teachers’ qualifications and enhance their agency and well-being. A national inclusion model in Chad enables refugee teachers to gain recognised qualifications through national teacher training institutions. A regional model in Kenya enables refugee teachers’ prior qualifications to be recognised in host countries. Finally, a global inclusion model - the UNESCO Qualifications Passport, which has been applied in Zambia - recognizes refugees’ prior learning, qualifications and credentials.  

Through the review and adaptation of the models using a participatory approach positioning refugee teachers at the centre of the research, this project supports education stakeholders to engage more with refugees themselves when building evidence and making decisions. It aims to strengthen the capacity of school leaders, as well as provincial and national ministries of education stakeholders, to understand, implement and scale these innovations to increase agency and well-being among refugee teachers, and teachers with disabilities.