In line with the national protection strategy, UNHCR Regional Representation contributed to school fees and the purchase of primary school supplies and uniforms. In Goma and Bukavu, parents provided school supplies to their children enrolled in primary school, while in Kinshasa, parents provided school supplies and uniforms to their children enrolled in secondary school.
In Kinshasa, 87 per cent of primary school-aged children enrolled in primary education. In Kinshasa, 104 per cent of secondary school-aged young people enrolled in secondary education. UNHCR, through its implementing partners, supported the access of 23 children to kindergarten in Gabon and Bukavu and 887 children to primary school as well as providing 403 adolescents with access to secondary school. Refugee children study according to the national curriculum of the DRC in Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi and Bukavu. In Kinshasa and Gabon, implementing partners provided cash to 224 households with school-age children to support their children's access to education. UNHCR has managed to include refugees in other programmes of humanitarian actors, including the NGO Jesuit Refugee Service in North Kivu, engaging in innovative fundraising. Trust Marchant Bank and ECO Bank in Goma provided eight scholarships for secondary education and one for the university. 90 per cent of students passed their final exams in the 2016/17 school year. UNHCR employed a cash-based approach in South Kivu: Financial support was given to cover school fees, school supplies and uniforms for 111 children enrolled in primary school and six children in pre-school.
In Gabon, refugees have access to education. Refugee students are integrated in the national system and the curriculum of the country of asylum is applied. UNHCR supported some students based on the vulnerability criteria. In pre-school, 17 refugee students are enrolled (09 girls and 08 boys). In primary school, 93 students were enrolled (36 girls and 57 boys). Out of the 93 students, 10 were supported by UNHCR. In secondary school, 118 students (62 girls and 56 boys) were enrolled in 2017 including 18 supported (11 girls and 7 boys) by UNHCR.