Safeguard education in Uganda's refugee response
What you need to know:
In term one of 2025, Windle International Uganda (WIU), UNHCR’s lead education partner, supported 306,428 learners in 289 schools across seven refugee settlements with over 2,300 teachers
As the global humanitarian funding crisis worsens, the refugee education sector in Uganda is facing a potential collapse. Uganda, host to 1,890,334 refugees and asylum seekers as of 30 April 2025 (According to Office of Prime Minister and UNHCR), has long been commended for its inclusive refugee policies, especially in education.
Yet now, the lifeline of learning for refugee and host community children hangs by a thread; threatening to undo decades of progress. In term one of 2025, Windle International Uganda (WIU), UNHCR’s lead education partner, supported 306,428 learners in 289 schools across seven refugee settlements with over 2,300 teachers. However, due to significant funding cuts, term two will open with a more than 34 percent reduction in these teachers.
This means overcrowded classrooms, higher pupil-teacher ratios, and reduced support for vulnerable learners - compromising both quality and access. Education in emergencies provides more than just academic learning; it offers psychosocial support, protection from exploitation, and a structured environment that helps children cope with trauma.
Schools serve as safe spaces where children receive not only education but also essential services like health care and nutrition. UNESCO considers education an immediate and essential need in crisis situations, comparable to urgent food and health service provision. UNICEF also highlights that education brings hope, protection, and a sense of normalcy for children, especially during a crisis.
Therefore, when education is underfunded or interrupted, the protection risks surge exponentially. In Uganda, the importance of education in humanitarian response has been recognized at policy level. Uganda was the first country globally to launch a comprehensive Education Response Plan (ERP) for Refugees and Host Communities, starting with ERP I (2018–2021) and continuing with ERP II (2021–2025).
These plans - jointly implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports, UNHCR, and other organizations have been hailed as models of best practice globally. ERP I expanded access to education infrastructure and reduced pupil-to-classroom ratios, while ERP II has focused on quality and resilience in education service delivery. Yet, all these gains are now at risk.
The stakes are high. Uganda continues to receive new refugee arrivals, many of them children. Terminating teacher contracts, closing schools, or suspending early childhood education may save money in the short term, but it erodes protection systems and threatens long-term recovery and development.
To safeguard this vital sector, we urge donors and stakeholders to take immediate action. Prioritize funding for education within refugee response budgets, especially for teacher salaries, learning materials, and early childhood programs. Avoid abrupt cuts - adopt phased reductions or community-based approaches instead. Support the integration of refugee learners into national systems through sustainable financing of the ERP model. Empower local partners who have deep roots in the communities they serve.
Most importantly, shift to multi-year, flexible funding to build lasting resilience. We commend the progress made by the government of Uganda, UNHCR, and education partners, but now is not the time to retreat. Education must remain central to Uganda’s refugee response. If budget cuts force its collapse, we risk more than lost learning - we weaken communities, heighten protection risks, and endanger the futures of thousands of children. Let us protect the gains, fund the future, and ensure no child is left behind.
Muhamood Kimera,
Programme Manager
Windle International Uganda
