As the new school term in Uganda starts on 3 February, this week I joined a back to school campaign with partner organisations working in Bidibidi. There is a really strong educational collaboration amongst NGOs working at the refugee settlement and I was pleased to represent VSO alongside UNHCR, Office of the Prime Minister – Government of Uganda, Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision and Humanitarian Inclusion. The partnership lead is Finn Church Aid.
I delivered input at a meeting in village 7, zone 5. Parents and children joined a call and response which I used to demonstrate how simple songs and rhymes support the psychosocial wellbeing of children. Where children have experienced the flight to safety, educational settings and schools are very well placed to normalise lives. Even children born in refugee settlements may suffer from the intergenerational effects of trauma suffered by their parents. It is therefore very important to offer high quality early learning experiences for children to build their learning, skills, confidence and resilience. As not all children from three to five years of age are accessing early learning, the meeting was a great opportunity to share the benefits and encourage parents to enrol their young children.
At the meeting parents were encouraged to offer feedback on the educational provision their children receive. Schools on the settlement do not charge fees (unlike elsewhere in Uganda) so access to free education is much appreciated. Some learning resources are also offered. Concerns are very similar to situations in schools across the world. For example, the issue of overcrowded classroom was raised. In UK schools a large class might comprise more than 30 pupils, the average primary class in Uganda has 53 pupils but in classes on the settlement there are sometimes 150 children trying to learn. (Children who arrive at school early get to sit in the classroom while others peer in from the windows.) The other contentious issue is school uniform. Parents want school uniform for their children but can’t afford to buy it.
Later in the afternoon, I joined another session at Okuban village. There was a huge group of parents and children who contributed to the discussion. I came away much more knowledgable about the educational experiences of refugee children and the provision put in place by NGOs on the settlement.
the writer is a lonely hunter 
Huge classes! Good luck! xx
Wonderful post, Gail. My takeaway is the size of the classes. Man, I used to teach way back when and I’d sometimes have 25 students. The average class size you mentioned at 53 blew me away! And some are as large as 150! Wow, I can only begin to imagine the challenges that presents. My hat is off to you and all the other volunteers! You are all amazing!!