UNICEF Halts Education for Rohingya, Host Community in Major Cutback

UNICEF has confirmed a major cut to its education programs in Cox’s Bazar, which will affect thousands of Rohingya and host community children. More than 1,179 volunteer teachers will lose their positions, and all UNICEF-supported learning centres inside the Rohingya camps will close starting June 6, 2025. The organization also plans to drop core subjects like English, science, and social science from the early-grade curriculum beginning next year.

These changes were shared in an internal letter dated May 27 and sent to six implementing partners—BRAC, Coast Foundation, CODEC, Friendship, JCF, and Mukti Cox’s Bazar. The decisions come as part of a wider cost-cutting effort caused by a major drop in international humanitarian funding. According to UNICEF, the education of around 230,000 Rohingya children is now at risk.

The learning centres will stay closed at least until the end of June 2025, aligned with the extended Eid holidays. Whether they reopen will depend on new funding. Meanwhile, volunteers will receive their final payments by June 30. After that, all payments will stop for both Rohingya and host community volunteers.

The 1,179 affected include all host community teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 2, as well as mentor teachers and master trainers. Many of them have worked in the education response since the 2017 Rohingya influx. Some volunteers, whose contracts are not permanently ended, remain hopeful they may return if funding resumes. Others are planning protests, with one scheduled today at the Shaheed Minar inside the Rohingya camp.

From the 2025–2026 academic year, UNICEF will remove English, science, and social science from the KG–Grade 2 curriculum. Only Rohingya literacy, Burmese language, mathematics, life skills, and drawing (for KG) will be taught. No new textbooks or teacher guides will be provided. All materials must be reused regardless of condition. Standard year-end assessments and placement tests have also been cancelled.

The organization has also suspended all education and skills programs for the host community. Aid workers warn this could lead to serious learning loss. Some estimate that up to 20% of children may never return to school, even if education programs are restarted in the future. “These learning centres were like breathing spaces for the children,” said Md Ruhul Kuddus, deputy education manager at Friendship.

UNICEF’s decision to ban the recruitment of new Rohingya volunteers has also drawn concern. This means there will be no replacements for teachers who leave or are terminated, leaving many classrooms without any instructors.

Field workers say this could reverse years of effort. One said the Rohingya community initially had little interest in education. It took years to convince families to send their children to school. Now, that progress is at risk. Experts also warn that without access to school, children could face higher risks of child labor, abuse, or radicalization.

Several implementing agencies told the Dhaka Tribune they were not consulted before the decision. No community feedback or needs assessment was conducted. UNICEF has not answered questions sent by Dhaka Tribune over the past three days. These included queries about alternative education plans, mental health support, or attempts to secure emergency funding.

The Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) confirmed receiving the letter but declined to comment in detail. Mohammad Samusuddoza, additional RRRC (joint secretary), said a meeting had taken place with UNICEF and more details would be shared later.

In the letter, Angela Kearney, acting chief of UNICEF’s Cox’s Bazar field office, acknowledged the impact of the decision. “We understand how painful this process is,” she wrote. “Thank you for all your support already in agreeing to staffing reductions… We are grateful for all your efforts to reduce costs.”

Reference: Dhaka Tribune