We need to bridge the AI education gap for refugees.
By: Roozbeh Aliabadi
In the past two years, over 1 million refugees have been born around the world. From the very beginning, these young refugees face spending their childhood, and sometimes their whole lives, outside the countries they should be calling “home.” And the impact of the global pandemic (COVID-19) on their lives will be even more profound.
The unprecedented disruption to education is impacting all children. UNESCO estimated that since the start of the pandemic, over 1.6 billion young learners have been affected by the closure of their school or university. Still, for young refugees, who are already facing significant educational barriers, this could destroy all hopes of getting the schooling they genuinely require. As refugee children get older, the picture rapidly worsens, and those at the secondary level are at the most significant risk of being left behind.
Recent UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data shows that 68% of refugee children worldwide are enrolled in primary school. However, by contrast, the total enrolment for refugees plummets at the secondary level, being just 34% on average.
For refugees adolescents, the pressure to drop out of school and support their families can be more intense — this pressure has intensified further due to the pandemic’s economic devastation. The risk of boys and girls being subjected to child labor, including its more exploitative practices, is acute. However, young people embracing essential growth, development, and opportunity without proper secondary education face enormous risks. Further denying secondary education is like removing a large part of the bridge that leads to their future — the bridge to better financial prospects, greater independence, and improved health outcomes. This is also the bridge to higher education.
Today’s progress in educational advances for refugees is under grave threat due to COVID-19. Although it is too early to grasp the full impact of the pandemic, the damage is likely to be profound. According to the UN, in 34 regional offices, the refugee learners lost an average of 150 days of school up to March 2021 because of the closures of schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. This is a tremendous deficit to recover.
Although many students and teachers have adapted quickly to the new standard, online resources appear endless. Over the past several months, we have witnessed technology and digital learning making rapid advances. However, inequality is present in the virtual world too. Digital learning is more achievable if you have an internet connection, a suitable device, the money to afford such things, and somewhere quiet to listen to and learn.
We need to remember that, still thousands of refugee learners who live in unconnected regions, do not have access to digital devices or share them with others, and live in crowded conditions, such resources are unrealistic. There is no doubt for all children and youth, especially the most vulnerable, we need a worldwide “back-to-school” campaign. But for refugees, in particular, we must ensure that they are part of national educational systems and planning, including catch-up programs.
We need to close the digital divide with better and more affordable connectivity and low-tech or no-tech educational platforms. These are all clear action points that will have demonstrable results.
The pandemic has given many of us a taste of what refugees endure daily: isolation, limitations on movement, economic uncertainty, and the sudden denial of essential services. Hundreds of thousands of children are born into this life year after year.
We are losing ground in the effort to ensure complete, quality education for all. But with coordinated action, we can make up for lost time and reach our ultimate target: to give all children and youth, including refugees, the education they deserve.
At ReadyAI, we are committed to making our resources, teacher’s training, and materials more readily available in the countries hosting most refugees. This is more than a promise for us. This is a duty for all of us at ReadyAI.
Online or offline, making AI education work
Many displaced communities live in areas where internet connectivity is poor or nonexistent, or getting hold of intelligent devices is out of the question. Therefore to get around these issues, we focus on unplugged AI activities, books, worksheets, lesson plans, and training for learners and teachers.
From refugees and host communities to teachers, private sector partners, national and local authorities, innovators, and humanitarian agencies, we all have found numerous ways to keep education going in the face of the pandemic. It has been a demonstration of partnership, generosity, and creative thinking, allied to the passion and determination of millions of young people. Our recent partnership with Cloudera in writing “A Fresh Squeeze on Data” is an example of partnerships with many stakeholders to be a force for change.
The pandemic threatens to undo this and other crucial advances. And for refugee girls, the threat is particularly grave. Based on UNHCR data, the Malala Fund has estimated that due to COVID-19, half of all refugee girls in secondary school will not return when classrooms reopen this month.
Refugees’ desire for education is evident. The challenge now is to give their determination global support. At ReadyAI, we have tried collaborative ways to ensure that refugees and teachers keep going during the lockdown. I encourage all to join us at ReadyAI to bring AI education to students around the world.
