Education Crisis in Rohingya Camps: A Humanitarian Failure, and a Wake-Up Call
The announcement by UNICEF on 31 May 2025 that education for more than 230,000 Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh is now at risk of collapse signals not only a humanitarian emergency, but a profound systemic failure.
According to UNICEF’s official statement, a severe funding shortfall has forced the organisation to suspend support for 1,179 host community volunteer teachers and close learning centres serving over 83% of school-aged Rohingya children. Early-grade learners will lose access to foundational subjects such as English, science, and social studies, and no new textbooks will be provided for the upcoming academic year.
“Without urgent funding, learning facilities may remain closed, and an entire generation of Rohingya children risks being left behind,”
– UNICEF Representative, Rana Flowers (UNICEF Bangladesh Press Release, 31 May 2025)
This announcement marks the most dramatic education scale-down in Rohingya camps to date. It is also a tragic validation of RCUK’s long-standing warning: the donor-dependent humanitarian model is unsustainable, unpredictable, and ultimately unable to secure the future of our children.
RCUK’s Response: Empower Rohingya to Lead Their Own Future
This crisis cannot be addressed through emergency funding alone. It demands a paradigm shift in strategy — one that prioritises local ownership, invests in community-led education systems, and restores dignity, self-reliance, and resilience at the core of the Rohingya response.
Since 2019, we have been advocating for and developing frameworks for a Rohingya Education Board, trained Rohingya educators, and laid the groundwork for community-run pilot schools including faith-based learning centres. Our approach is rooted in the belief that Rohingya children deserve more than temporary learning — they deserve a modern, stable, and future-oriented education system that is led by our own people.
This Is a Turning Point — But Also a Strategic Opportunity
We urge our partners, donors, development agencies, governments, and multilateral partners to seize this moment — not only as a moral imperative but as an opportunity to build differently and build better.
RCUK calls for:
- Direct investment in Rohingya-led education systems — not only in service delivery but in curriculum development, teacher training, and education governance.
- Strategic partnerships for sustainability — with NGOs, governments, and funders who are ready to support long-term community empowerment.
- Global advocacy for systemic change in how Rohingya education is funded, planned, and delivered — by putting power into the hands of the communities themselves.
We are not merely asking for funding — we are asking for trust. We are inviting shared responsibility, not only to avert collapse but to build a new foundation for Rohingya education — one rooted in value for money, inclusivity, quality, accountability, and sustainability.
Join Us — Let’s Rebuild, Together
RCUK stands ready to lead this transformation. As a Rohingya-led organisation with deep roots in both the refugee camps and the global diaspora, we combine lived experience, technical knowledge, and institutional vision.
We invite:
- Donors and supporters to back our Educate Rohingya Campaign
- Agencies and governments to partner in community-run pilot schools
- Allies worldwide to support the Rohingya Education Board
Let this be the last time education disappears with the stroke of a funding shortfall. Let us build systems where no child’s future depends on annual renewals, but on the resilience of their own community.
Media & Partnerships Contact:
Email: info@rcuk.org.uk
Mobile: +44 (0)7475 237037
About RCUK
RCUK is a Rohingya-led organisation creating sustainable, community-driven solutions to the Rohingya crisis. Based in the UK, we link grassroots knowledge with global action so Rohingya people can thrive with dignity, rights, and opportunity.
Learn more at www.rcuk.org.uk | Follow: @WeAreRCUK