Large number of school drop-outs in eastern Chad camp

The number of pupils who dropped out of basic school in the Djabal refugee camp in eastern Chad in 2013 amounts to 1,420. “At the start of the school year in 2013, a monthly school fee of 60 Chadian franc ($0.13) was imposed on each basic school student, while the budget of relief organisations working in the field of education was reduced”,  Mohamed Juma Ahmed, the education supervisor of Gaga camp, reported to Radio Dabanga. “Last year 1,420 out of the 4,875 students at the six basic schools in Djabal camp quit their education. Educational NGOs cut their budgets, which forced the schools to impose a fee. Yet, because of their less than basic income, the parents cannot afford the monthly fees. The children are now working to assist their parents to earn a living.” Juma warned for the impact on the future of the children, and called upon the aid organisations to increase the education budget, and repeal the school fees. He appealed to UNHCR to improve and increase the humanitarian assistance for the Darfuri refugees in the eastern Chad camps. File photo: Two young Darfuri boys in a refugee camp in Eastern Chad (Radio Dabanga)Related: Concerns over school drop-out rate in Darfur, incentives for medics (4 June 2014)