Abstract:
The right to education is recognized in various international and national laws. Accordingly, the
general human rights standards like the UDHR, ICESCR, CRC make primary education
compulsory and free, whereas secondary and higher education accessible based on individual‟s
merit and available state resources.
1
Besides, the Refugee Convention and the new Ethiopian
refugee law specifically governing refugee guarantees „equal treatment of refugees with
nationals‟ in terms of primary education, and the same laws warrant „most favorable treatment
than other aliens‟ concerning secondary and higher education.
2
However, there is a problem of noncompliance in the Tsore refugee camp at all levels. As
regards elementary education, the classrooms are overcrowded and most of the teachers are
unqualified. Moreover, the curriculum and teaching method are not friendly for refugees, and
they are not again adequately accessible to them. Conversely, in the elementary school built for
Ethiopians, it is far better than the case of Tsore camp elementary school in all aspects.
Regarding secondary education, there is no school in a refugee camp. As a result, they attend
their education outside of the camp with the host community in an overcrowded situation even
worse than the situation in elementary school. Furthermore, alike the case of elementary
education the curriculum and teaching methods are not acceptable for refugees. And their
foreign documents are not recognized. At a higher level, the education opportunity is rare and
they are not also awarded a scholarship. And like the case of secondary level, refugees' foreign
documents are not recognized. Thus, there is a serious violation of refugees‟ right to education
in Tsore camp at all levels of education: primary, secondary, and territory levels.
