Education has long been a casualty of displacement, but Jordan and Bangladesh are proving that technology can bridge the gap for refugees. With millions of children missing out on schooling due to conflict and displacement, both countries are investing in digital classrooms and tele-education platforms.
In Jordan, where hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees live in camps and host communities, NGOs and the government have rolled out e-learning portals that allow students to access Arabic and English curricula online. Tablets distributed to refugee children are preloaded with lessons, and community centers provide internet access. Partnerships with edtech firms are adding interactive tools, from gamified math exercises to AI-based tutoring.
Bangladesh, hosting more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees, faces similar challenges. Here, digital learning kiosks powered by solar energy provide structured lessons in both Burmese and English. NGOs are training local teachers to use tablets and projectors to reach children in makeshift classrooms. The emphasis is on providing not only academic lessons but also psychosocial support through art and storytelling apps.
The results are encouraging. Attendance rates in digital classes are higher than in traditional makeshift schools, and students report greater engagement. The main barriers remain infrastructure costs, internet reliability, and ensuring curricula are formally recognized for accreditation.
For refugee education, Jordan and Bangladesh are setting a precedent: that even in crisis, technology can safeguard the right to learn.
