In a major scale-back of its education program in Cox’s Bazar, Unicef has confirmed that more than 1,179 host community volunteer teachers will be laid off, all Unicef-supported learning centres in the Rohingya camps will shut down from June 6, and key subjects like English and science will be dropped from early-grade classrooms starting in 2025.
These decisions, officially communicated through an internal letter issued by Unicef on May 27 and addressed to at least six implementing partners, are part of a wide-ranging cost-cutting measures attributed to a significant drop in global humanitarian funding.
Implementing partners and aid workers warn the consequences will be profound—disrupting education for thousands of vulnerable children in both the Rohingya camps and the host community and risking a surge in school dropouts.
According to a Unicef press release received late yesterday night, the education of around 230,000 Rohingya refugee children is under threat due to an acute and deepening funding crisis.
Learning facilities will remain closed until at least the end of June 2025, in line with an extended Eid holiday period. Reopening beyond that will depend entirely on the availability of new funds, the release added.
Volunteers terminated; Centres closed
The letter was issued to BRAC, Coast Foundation, CODEC, Friendship, JCF, and Mukti Cox’s Bazar following a meeting on May 27 where Unicef first conveyed its decisions verbally. According to sources from these organizations, they requested a formal letter, which was sent the following day.
Some implementing partners have reportedly declined to accept the letter’s decisions, while others have begun executing the changes.
“We have conveyed this decision to the host community and Rohingya community,” said Md Ruhul Kuddus, deputy general manager (education program), Friendship. “Volunteers are expressing dissatisfaction and disappointment regarding this development.”
He noted that the impacts fall into two categories: those whose contracts are ending permanently are planning protest actions, while others—whose contracts are being discontinued with a possibility of renewal—remain hopeful about resuming work if funding resumes.
“We are complying fully with Unicef’s directive, like other partners,” he said, adding that during the implementation of the decisions, they are also facing challenges like other partners.
A Rohingya volunteer whose contract was suspended told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone that they plan to hold a protest at the Shaheed Minar of the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar today.
The decision affects 1,179 individuals, including all host community volunteer teachers working in Kindergarten through Grade 2, as well as mentor teachers and master trainers. Many of them have served in the education response since the onset of the Rohingya influx in 2017.
Unicef will provide final incentive payments through June 30. After that, no further reimbursements will be made to education volunteers—both for the Rohingya and host community—across the program.
The letter further instructs that all Unicef-supported learning centres will close from June 6 to June 29. Their reopening will depend on the availability of new funding. If funds are not secured, the centres will remain closed indefinitely.
In another major policy shift, partners are no longer permitted to recruit new Rohingya volunteers to fill gaps. This measure effectively freezes the staffing pipeline, leaving hundreds of classrooms without teachers and jeopardizing the continuity of learning.
Core subjects dropped
Starting from the 2025–2026 academic year, Unicef will eliminate English, science, and social science from the Kindergarten to Grade 2 curriculum.
Instruction will focus solely on Rohingya literacy, Burmese language, mathematics, life skills, and drawing (for KG). Partners and educators fear this narrowing of the curriculum could constrain children’s future academic growth and critical thinking.
The organization also announced it will not procure any new textbooks or guides for the Myanmar curriculum. All existing materials must be collected and reused—regardless of their condition.
Standard end-of-year assessments and placement tests have also been cancelled, raising further concerns about how student progress will be measured or supported.
Unicef has additionally suspended all education and skills development initiatives for the host community in Cox’s Bazar district, citing lack of funds.
Partners say this could replicate post-COVID learning losses, estimating that up to 20% of children might never return to school—even if programming is restored later.
“These learning centres were like breathing spaces for the children,” said Ruhul Kuddus of Friendship.
A field officer from one implementing partner commented that the Rohingya community had previously shown little interest in education. “It took years of awareness work to engage them with schooling. Now, many children may never come back.”
Learning loss, radicalization risk
With classrooms closing, academic assessments halted, and no paid alternatives available, concerns are rising over long-term consequences for children’s education and mental health.
Experts warn that children living in impoverished, high-risk environments—such as the Rohingya camps—could become more vulnerable to child labor, exploitation, or even radicalization in the absence of structured learning and supervision.
A senior official from an implementing partner, speaking on condition of anonymity, said:
“We fear the worst. Without school or support systems, some children may drift into unsafe paths. We’ve seen this pattern before.
Despite the scale of the decision, multiple implementing agencies told Dhaka Tribune they were not consulted beforehand. No community feedback or needs assessment appears to have been conducted prior to the announcement.
Unicef did not respond to several questions sent by this correspondent over the past three days. Queries included whether there are alternative education plans, any planned mental health support, or efforts to secure emergency donor funding.
The Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) confirmed receipt of the letter but did not offer a detailed response.
Mohammad Samusuddoza, additional RRRC (joint secretary) in Cox’s Bazar, said:
“There has been a meeting with Unicef about this decision, and we are aware of it. However, I will provide further details after consulting with the officer concerned tomorrow.”
In the letter, Unicef acknowledges the pain these decisions will cause, stating it is also reducing its internal education team due to budget constraints.
“We understand how painful this process is,” wrote Angela Kearney, acting chief of field office, Unicef Cox’s Bazar.
“Thank you for all your support already in agreeing to staffing reductions… We are grateful for all your efforts to reduce costs.”
