On the outskirts of Asosa, in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region near the Sudanese border, Tsore No. 2 Primary School stands just a short walk from the nearby refugee camp.
The General Education Quality Improvement Program for Equity (GEQIP-E), which is supported by GPE, IDA, and DANIDA, has made significant improvements to the school, which primarily serves students from refugee backgrounds. As of April 2025, over 1,150,203 refugees and asylum seekers reside in Ethiopia, the third largest country in Africa that accepts refugees. A large portion of Ethiopia’s refugee population are children, many of whom, if given no access to education, face the danger of being left behind, missing out on essential learning, skill building, and future opportunities.
Young refugees are protected from dangers like exploitation and early marriage thanks to education. It also lays the foundation for long-term stability, independence, and stronger ties between refugees and host communities.
In hot, dry areas like Asosa, providing quality education is particularly challenging. The arrival of refugees strains the already limited local resources, and schools like Tsore No. 2 often struggle to meet students’ basic needs.
The school, led by Principal Yetinayet Girma, benefited from improved WASH facilities, including access to clean water and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) equipment, thanks to a variety of GEQIP-E support tools. Prior to this support, the school had no access to clean water, and the harsh climate made dehydration and poor hygiene daily challenges for students.
As a result, absenteeism and dropout rates have decreased. Girls no longer have to worry about feeling embarrassed or ashamed to attend school on a regular basis. Academic engagement has also improved as a result of these enhancements. Students are healthier and more focused, and the school has noticed increased participation in learning.
These school-level gains are the result of a broader shift in Ethiopia’s education policy. For the first time in the country’s history, GEQIP-E officially recognized refugee schools as part of the national education system.
In accordance with Ethiopia’s Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the 2019 Refugee Proclamation, this shift marked a significant change in policy and funding. In contrast to the situation before, refugees now had access to public services like education under this new strategy. Prior to GEQIP-E, refugee students relied primarily on parallel education programs run by humanitarian organizations with little involvement from the government. Ethiopia demonstrated a transformative commitment to equity, integration, and long-term support for refugee education within the national system by including refugee schools in GEQIP-E. Service harmonization and service integration were the two primary methods by which GEQIP-E supported refugee education. Service harmonization aimed to ensure that the quality and delivery of education in refugee schools were aligned with that of host community schools, including equitable access to learning materials, teacher training, and school grants.
In the meantime, service integration concentrated on fully integrating refugee secondary schools into the national education system. This required putting these schools under the control of regional education bureaus and giving them the ability to operate within the frameworks of national policy and financing. Together, these efforts strengthened Ethiopia’s commitment to inclusive education: 64 schools across Ethiopia – 54 primary and 11 secondary – received support through GEQIP-E, along with 12 additional secondary schools in host communities that enroll refugee students, through GEQIP-E, along with 12 additional secondary schools in host communities that enroll refugee students.
Teachers were also trained on how to make their teaching and learning processes more gender-responsive, from lesson planning to evaluation and feedback. Moreover, schools received teaching and learning materials to further enhance the quality of education.
Principal Girma stated, “The program has allowed our students to continue their education without interruption.” “The school has become a better place for all students, and the community feels more integrated.”
The school continues to face difficulties in spite of these enhancements. With more than 2,000 students, access to water remains limited. She lamented, “Based on our student population, it’s not enough.” “To meet everyone’s needs, we need more access points and water tanks.” Additionally, more supplies are needed in the MHM room. “Reusable pads alone aren’t sufficient,” she added. “To properly support the girls, we also need soap, lotion, and other hygiene supplies.” The GEQIP-E program has ended, despite its significant impact. Sustaining this progress—particularly for refugee education—will require continued commitment from the government and development partners. Without it, many of these gains could be hard to maintain.
The situation at Tsore No. 2 Primary School shows what steady investment in inclusive education can achieve. With the right support, all students, including refugees, can have a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed.
