Behind the Fences: Why Rohingya Girls Are Still Denied Education

By Mubaraq Olayinka Ganiyu, PACS, University of Manitoba

Date: October 22, 2025

Behind the Fences: Why Rohingya Girls Are Still Denied Education

 A Generation Without Classrooms

In the world’s largest refugee settlement, education is more than just a right it’s a fragile lifeline. In the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, young Rohingya girls wake each day with little chance of attending school. Displaced from their homes and denied basic rights, their hopes of learning fade behind makeshift fences and cultural walls.

Since 2017, over 700,000 Rohingya refugees have fled targeted violence in Myanmar. Today, more than a million reside in Bangladesh. Over half are children vulnerable, traumatized, and in desperate need of support. Education, which should provide safety and opportunity, remains painfully out of reach for many of them especially for girls.

This article looks at the education crisis facing Rohingya girls in the camps, exploring both formal and non-formal learning systems, the gender-specific barriers they face, and what can be done to create better futures for this forgotten generation.

 Life in Limbo: The Roots of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis

The story of Rohingya displacement is rooted in decades of systemic discrimination in Myanmar. Since independence, Rohingya Muslims have been excluded from citizenship and legal recognition². While persecution has a long history, the crisis escalated in 2017 when Myanmar’s military launched a brutal campaign of killings, sexual violence, and mass displacement in Rakhine State forcing hundreds of thousands to flee across the border into Bangladesh³.

Today, these families live in overcrowded refugee camps with limited access to health, mobility, livelihoods and education.

 Where Are the Schools?

There are approximately 3,400 Temporary Learning Centres (TLCs) in the camps with UNICEF supporting more than 2,800 of them⁴. These centers provide informal learning for about 300,000 Rohingya children⁵. But the gaps are still immense:

• 16% of children aged 3–14 receive no education at all
• 81% of adolescents aged 15–24 are entirely out of school⁴

These numbers are more than statistics they reflect lives derailed. Without education, refugee children are more vulnerable to child labor, early marriage, trafficking, and radicalization⁶. Families, often unable to work legally, rely on children to contribute income pushing many out of classrooms and into hardship¹.

 What’s the Difference? Formal vs. Non-Formal Education

Formal education takes place in recognized schools, follows an approved curriculum, and leads to academic certification. It is essential for preparing children for higher education, employment, and reintegration into society⁷.

Non-formal education is less structured typically delivered through community centers or workshops focusing on life skills, literacy, and vocational training. It’s flexible and often better suited for children who have faced trauma or interrupted schooling⁸.

Currently, only non-formal education is offered in the Rohingya camps. While it provides valuable learning and emotional support, the lack of official certification means it is often viewed as temporary or less useful especially by parents hoping for real opportunities for their children⁹.

Still, both types are vital. As shown in similar refugee contexts like Uganda, formal education helps with social inclusion, while non-formal education boosts employability and emotional well-being¹⁰.

 Why Are Rohingya Girls Dropping Out?

While boys and girls attend TLCs in similar numbers at early ages, the gender gap widens sharply during adolescence. Several overlapping barriers prevent girls from continuing their education:

• Cultural and religious norms: Girls are often expected to help with housework and stay home after puberty¹¹.
• Safety concerns: Families fear harassment or violence, making parents reluctant to let daughters leave home. These fears are not unfounded sexual abuse has been reported from community members, camp officials, and even within families¹² ¹³.
• Early marriage: With little hope for the future, many families marry girls off young, believing it will keep them safe or reduce household burdens¹⁰ ¹⁴.
• Lack of female teachers: The shortage of women educators makes parents uncomfortable with sending girls to school especially teens⁴.

These factors contribute to high dropout rates, isolating girls from education, social networks, and protection from exploitation.

 More Than Just Classrooms: The Bigger Obstacles

Beyond gender-specific issues, several broader challenges affect all Rohingya children:

• No recognized curriculum: Non-formal programs currently used are not certified, leaving students with no official academic standing¹.
• Language barriers: Many children speak only Rohingya or Bangla, while lessons are often in Burmese⁸.
• Underqualified teachers: Educators are often community volunteers with little training. Physical punishment has also been reported⁶.
• Lack of infrastructure: Overcrowded, under-resourced TLCs make for poor learning environments, lacking proper sanitation or safe spaces.

 What Can Be Done?

Despite the challenges, meaningful change is possible. Here are key recommendations:

• Roll out the Myanmar Curriculum Pilot (MCP): Launched by UNICEF and partners in 2020, this program uses the official Myanmar curriculum giving students a chance at recognized education, especially if repatriation ever becomes possible⁴.
• Expand non-formal learning programs: Offer more life-skills education, vocational training, and flexible learning options for adolescents and young adults who are out of school¹.
• Address gender barriers: Hire more female teachers and develop safe learning environments. Community engagement is crucial to shifting harmful norms around girls’ education¹¹.
• Improve teacher training and child protection: Educators need to be trained in trauma-informed approaches, classroom management, and safeguarding to ensure learning environments are both safe and effective.

 Hope Beyond the Camps

The education crisis in the Rohingya camps is not only a humanitarian emergency  it is a test of our commitment to justice and human dignity. Denying children an education today will lock them into cycles of poverty, dependence, and marginalization for generations to come.

Yet, with focused investment, community-led approaches, and international support, education can be a powerful tool for recovery, empowerment, and long-term peacebuilding. We must act not only to teach Rohingya children but to show them that they matter.

 Want to help? Support organizations working directly with Rohingya refugees like UNICEF, BRAC, or Save the Children. Share their stories, advocate for inclusive policies, and don’t let this crisis fall off the world’s radar.

 References

1. Hossain, 2023
2. Johnson, 2019
3. UNHCR, 2022
4. UNICEF, 2022
5. ReliefWeb, 2022
6. Rahman et al., 2023
7. UNESCO, 2020
8. Shohel, 2022
9. Habib et al., 2023
10. Melnikas et al., 2020
11. Islam et al., 2021
12. Haar et al., 2019
13. Akhter & Kusakabe, 2014
14. Uddin, 2021

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