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Officials discuss integration of refugee children in schools

Country Map - Cote d'lvoire IRIN
There is no reliable data on the spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the rebel-held areas in the north of the country since civil war broke out in September 2002
    YAMOUSSOUKRO

    Governmental and UN officials responsible for education, social protection and related issues began meeting on Monday in the Ivorian capital, Yamoussoukro, to discuss plans to integrate young Liberian refugees into Côte d'Ivoire's education system.

    The agenda of the three-day meeting includes discussing the cost of the proposed programme as well as ways to overcome social and psychological obstacles to the integration of the more than 20,000 Liberians of school age living in communities in western Côte d'Ivoire. These children are among some 120,000 Liberians who have remained in the country despite voluntary repatriations begun in 1997.

    Participants will also discuss the challenge of integrating children who speak mostly English and/or their mother tongues, into an education system in which French is the medium of instruction.

    The workshop is being attended by representatives of the US Agency for International Development, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, and Côte d'Ivoire's ministries of National Education, and Defence and Civil Protection.

    The partners have set October as the target date for the start of the programme.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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