Migrant children get UNHCR education kits

Reporter

carisa.lee@cnc3.co.tt

Protection Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Amanda Solano Badilla, has thanked the Government for allowing registered Venezuelan migrant children into schools.

“I want to express UNHCR’s heartfelt gratitude to the government for its decision to open the country’s school doors to these children,” she said yesterday.

“And while today we have just a small percentage of children registered with the government through the migrant registration framework…we know that for more children to access schools it’s required a constructive collaboration and we assure the government that we will continue to support this initiative,” Solano Badilla added.

The UNHCR representative said the agency will support the Government in establishing a national asylum system that will give international protection to those who qualify.

At an education kit distribution hosted by UNHCR at the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS)in Port-of-Spain yesterday, 17 of the 23 Venezuelan migrant children who will begin school on Monday received education kits. They were given book bags filled with stationery, school uniforms and shoes. Seven local children also received kits.

Solano Badilla said the UNHCR welcomed the opportunity to assist the first cohort of non-national children entering local schools, as they have had their education interrupted for many months and in some instances for years.

“This event marks a crucial step toward providing equal opportunities for all children. On average UNHCR estimates that globally refugees miss out on three to four years of school due to forced displacement,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, United States Ambassador to T&T Candace Bond said during her tenure at the Los Angeles County Office of Education, she saw what happened when children do not have the resources to succeed in class.

“What happens, is you can have a change, when you give them what they need to be successful,” she said.

Bond said the United States was thrilled to partner with the Government, the Education Working Group and UNHCR in ensuring Venezuelan migrant students are successfully integrated into the public school system.

“Today’s donation is yet another example of our joint efforts to support the educational aspirations of students across this country, no matter where they call home,” she said.

Santiago Gonzales, who will start in Standard Five at the Savonetta Private Primary School on Monday, said he could not wait, adding he was eager to study Maths.

“I am very happy and excited,” he said.

Between May 31 and June 14, 2019, more than 15,000 Venezuelan migrants were registered to live and work in this country. Many brought their children.

The government’s first official announcement on school for migrant children was last year when Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly announced that over 100 children of registered Venezuelan migrants will be admitted into public schools. That did not happen.

On August 19, the Ministries of National Security and Education said 23 of 111 Venezuelan migrant children were successful with their applications to attend a local school. A day later, Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM) CEO Sharon Mangroo said 32 more applications had been sent and should be approved in weeks.

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