According to Dadaab EMIS Data 2017, a total of 72,200 (28,380 girls) students out of 120,100 school-aged children were enrolled in Dadaab refugee schools as of 31 December 2017. Some 14,000 (6,245 girls) were enrolled in preschool, 50,000 (19,854 girls) in primary and 8,191 (2,281 girls) in secondary school levels. Among them are 289 (112 girls) Special Needs Education (SNE) children enrolled in ECDE, 943 (376 girls) enrolled in primary and 262 (68) enrolled in secondary school. An additional 50 (11 girls) SNE children are enrolled in specialised schools outside Dadaab. 170 (14 girls) refugee learners are enrolled in Alinjugur Secondary School. The gross enrolment ratio at preschool stood at 44 per cent, primary school 73 per cent and secondary school 28 per cent.
The Gender Parity Index was at 0.80 in pre-school, 0.70 at primary school and 0.45 at secondary school level. The Pupil Teacher Ratio stood at 1:111 at ECD, 1:57 at primary school and 1:34 at secondary school level whereas the pupil textbook ratio stood at 1:5 at ECD, 1:5 at primary school and 1:4 at secondary school levels. There are a total of 1,260 teachers (refugees and national) in Dadaab schools; 126 in pre-primary, 870 in primary and 239 in secondary schools with an additional 60 refugee teachers supporting Accelerated Education Programmes (AEP). Secondary schools had the highest number of national teachers (113) at 47 per cent due to subject specialization. 122 refugee teachers benefitted from professional teacher training in ECD certificate and diploma courses. An additional 350 refugee teachers received training on pedagogical skills.
A total of 11,080 primary school students, 3,153 secondary school students and 1,510 YEP students benefitted from the Instant Network Schools project. Integration of ICT in teaching and learning has helped increase enrolment, retention of learners and improved performance in exams. 3,681 (1,692 female) and 478 (95 female) students accessed primary and secondary education respectively through the AEP enabling over-aged children and youth access education.
To strengthen inclusive education, SNE was streamlined with one partner handling all SNE learners on scholarships. There was also the establishment of three Special units and recruitment of six SNE teachers in Dadaab secondary schools enabling 21 hearing impaired, visually impaired and physically handicapped SNE learners to be enrolled in school.