Understanding Refugee Education in Cameroon

"Educational Innovation in the Schooling of Central African Refugees in Eastern Cameroon: A Contribution to Development Anthropology" is the subject of this study. Many refugee children do not attend school in a world where education-a fundamental right-is the foundation of all development. And for more than a decade, Cameroon has been hosting thousands of refugees. Mandjou alone is home to more than 10,000. Several hundred of these children suffer from under-enrollment and other forms of school dropout. Even when they are enrolled in Cameroonian schools, they drop out early despite the enormous resources mobilized by government authorities and development partners. Clearly, MDG Goal 3-"Education for All by 2015"-has not been achieved. This study therefore set out to investigate the causes and dynamics underlying the lack of school enrollment among Central African refugees in eastern Cameroon, in a context where inclusive education aims to provide greater opportunities for social integration to the most vulnerable groups.