Education response plan's influence on higher education access and resilience for South Sudanese refugee students from Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda

Abstract

This study sought to obtain answers to the following research questions: (1) how does the Education Response Plan (ERP) influence higher education access (2) how does the Education Response Plan (ERP) influence resilience of South Sudanese higher education refugee students from Bidi Bidi settlement in Uganda? Guided by a qualitative, exploratory case study design; data was collected from 27 participants. These included 12 South Sudanese refugee students, from two private Ugandan higher education institutions (HEIs), and 15 officials from government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and a public and a private HEI. Data analysis yielded four themes which guided presentation, analysis and interpretation of the findings. The study established that the ERP influences higher education access of refugees by: drawing upon and operationalizing supportive provisions within various global, regional and national frameworks (conventions, agendas, strategies, plans, policies frameworks); considering situational factors and cross-cutting issues, which have a bearing on refugees‘ higher education access, and enforcing a multi-stakeholder/ partnership approach, which enables partners and stakeholders to apply various supportive pathways and mechanisms, towards refugees‘ higher education access, in an unrestricted environment. It was also established that the ERP influences resilience for higher education refugee students, by enabling multiple stakeholder and partner supported mechanisms, towards building students‘ resilience. This study therefore recommends that guided by a situational analysis and needs assessment, Uganda‘s Ministry of Education and Sports, should develop objectives, activities and outcomes within the ERP, specifically for higher education. This will streamline the ERP‘s influence on refugees‘ higher education access and resilience. Ensuring interventions and coordination, happen in a more generic and systematic manner. This study contributed to the body of knowledge by developing a model that will contribute to strengthening the ERP‘s influence on refugees‘ higher education access and the refugee students‘ resilience. The study identified need for further research in other refugee settlements. It also noted the need for research that will involve refugee students, who are attached to settlements but who completed their secondary school education in urban areas.