Abstract

This thesis looked at the access to education for Ethiopian refugees in Cairo. Due to legal constraints, Ethiopian refugees do not have access to the Egyptian public school system and are often unable to afford the private schools. Many Ethiopian refugees are therefore depending on non-formal forms of education. This study aimed to look at which forms of education Ethiopian refugees access, and how they access these forms. To do so, ethnographic research and interviews were conducted among several Ethiopian refugee communities and different stakeholders in the field of education. This study found that in contrast to general understanding, Ethiopian refugees often do not access the Sudanese community schools. Rather, they opt for either the so called ‘Nigerian Schools’ or the nurseries. The reason for this is two-fold. First, many shy away from the Sudanese due to their previous experience in Sudan or the stories and rumors they have heard of robbery and kidnapping in Cairo. Secondly, parents want to prepare their children as much as possible for the future and therefore opt for an English medium school. Education, therefore, was not just an isolated topic, but an aspect deeply connected to past life experiences, present life and future life. Education is not something that refugees passively receive, but actively seek. Therefore, looking at the access to education through the lens the autonomy of migration can serve as a space where refugees assert autonomy and claim their citizenship rights. Through taking a refugee centered approach, the topic of access to education changes from one that describes the educational opportunities provided for Ethiopian refugees, to one that describes ways through which Ethiopian refugees have found their way in the patchwork of educational opportunities and have asserted their autonomy.

School

School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Department

Center for Migration and Refugee Studies

Degree Name

MA in Migration & Refugee Studies

Graduation Date

5-16-2019

Submission Date

May 2019

First Advisor

Heck, Gerda

Committee Member 1

Hozayin, Russanne

Committee Member 2

Mahmoud, Hala

Extent

161 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy. The author has granted the American University in Cairo or its agents a non-exclusive license to archive this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study, and to make it accessible, in whole or in part, in all forms of media, now or hereafter known.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

Comments

AUC Grant for Master Thesis

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