Govt rejects reports of closing learning facilities for Rohingya children

Bangladesh is facilitating learning activities for Rohingya children inside their camps, said the government, dismissing reports of closure of learning facilities and barring teachers or students from attending there as "false and fabricated".  

"It is of deep concern that disinformation is being propagated about the learning facilities for the Rohingya children when the government is working with UN agencies to gradually bring learning facilities under Myanmar curriculum, streamline the volunteer teachers' engagement and adopt policies for their capacity building," read a press statement issued by the foreign ministry.

"The Bangladesh government has arranged learning scopes for the Rohingya children inside the camps through around 5,617 learning facilities all of which are in operation and neither Education Sector Operators in Rohingya Camps nor Unicef raised any concern about closing any learning facility," it added.

The forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals children study under the Unicef and Brac developed curriculum called "Learning Competency Framework and Approach (LCFA)" in the camps completely free of charge.

Since the end of last year, a pilot project called Myanmar Curriculum Pilot (MCP) has been rolled out in the camps. It would gradually replace the LCFA.  

Government bodies with the support of the UN agencies are arranging learning in accordance with the Myanmar curriculum which would allow every participant to continue to be exposed to their culture, mother tongue, and national identity. It would facilitate reintegration into their ancestral society in Rakhine State smoothly upon their voluntary return, said the press statement.

Rohingya volunteer teachers are conducting teaching and additional volunteers are being engaged and being trained to teach the Myanmar curriculum. The government and the UN are finalising a policy to further streamline the volunteer teachers' engagement and make it more fruitful, it added.

Following the Covid-19 related global health advisories, the learning centres were suspended in the highly congested Rohingya camps and were reopened as the coronavirus situation improved.

Now all the educational facilities are running on a regular basis like other educational institutions in Bangladesh. Besides, schools and offices remain closed on weekends and national holidays globally.

"Covid-19 induced suspensions and enjoying holidays on weekends or government holidays, suspension of unauthorised business ventures in the name of education should not be treated as an effort to impede learning facilities for Rohingya children," said the statement.