Inclusion of Refugee Teachers into Kenya's National Education System

Abstract

Kenya hosts over 774,000 registered refugees, most of whom reside in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps (UNHCR, 2024). Within these camps, more than 160,000 refugee learners are enrolled in approximately 200 schools, many of which are overcrowded and operating under immense strain due to limited infrastructure. Refugee teachers form the backbone of the education system in these settings, constituting over 80% of the teaching workforce. However, 74.6% of them lack certification from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which restricts their professional recognition and career progression. As a result, student-teacher ratios can soar as high as 1:96, significantly undermining the quality of teaching and learning for refugee learners. This policy brief is informed by a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) conducted by Breinscope Consulting for Save the Children International (SCI), under the TeachWell Voices Project. The analysis examines systemic barriers and opportunities for integrating refugee teachers into Kenya's national teacher management framework