Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children in Bangladesh camps remain without formal schooling, raising concerns over long-term instability and a potential “lost generation.”

Kaladan Press

Nearly a decade after more than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar following the 2017 military crackdown, the refugee crisis in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar camps is often discussed in terms of food shortages, shelter conditions and security challenges. Yet one of the most critical aspects of the crisis remains largely overlooked: education.

Today, more than half a million Rohingya children of school age live in the sprawling refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh. The majority still lack access to formal, accredited education.

For many children, schooling is limited to basic learning centers that offer only elementary instruction without recognized certification or clear pathways to secondary education. As a result, an entire generation of Rohingya youth is growing up without the skills, qualifications or opportunities needed to rebuild their futures.

Experts warn that the education deficit is no longer only a humanitarian concern but a growing structural challenge with regional implications.

Risk of a “Lost Generation”

The Rohingya crisis is already one of the world’s largest and longest-running refugee emergencies. Without meaningful education opportunities, it risks producing a permanent “lost generation.”

“An entire generation is growing up without the skills, qualifications or opportunities necessary to rebuild their lives,” said Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, a policy analyst and researcher focusing on Rohingya issues.

Children who spend their formative years outside formal schooling face severe long-term consequences. Educational deprivation increases vulnerability to human trafficking, criminal networks and exploitation. It can also undermine social stability within refugee camps and weaken prospects for economic self-reliance in the future.

In fragile environments where frustration and uncertainty already run high, the absence of opportunity can quickly translate into insecurity.

Bangladesh carrying heavy burden

Bangladesh currently hosts more than 1.4 million Rohingya refugees, making it one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world.

The government in Dhaka has repeatedly emphasized that the refugee presence must remain temporary and that safe and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar remains the only long-term solution.

However, analysts say that repatriation becomes far more complicated if an entire generation grows up without education or employable skills.

“If Rohingya children cannot study today, they cannot rebuild Myanmar tomorrow,” Ibrahim said.

Education, experts argue, is therefore not a peripheral issue but a central pillar of any sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.

Education system under strain

Despite efforts by humanitarian agencies, the current education system in Cox’s Bazar faces major limitations.

Funding shortages have repeatedly forced organizations to reduce education programs. Many learning centers operate with minimal teaching materials, limited curriculum coverage and insufficiently trained instructors.

Even where education is available, it typically stops at the primary level and rarely leads to recognized academic qualifications.

Traditional classroom-based systems alone are unlikely to meet the scale of the challenge. With more than 500,000 Rohingya children requiring schooling, constructing and staffing sufficient schools remains extremely difficult under existing legal, political and funding constraints.

Bangladesh has expressed concerns about infrastructure expansion that could signal permanent refugee settlement, while donor funding cycles remain unpredictable. Humanitarian systems originally designed for short-term emergencies were never intended to provide education to entire refugee populations for decades.

The result is a fragmented system that struggles to expand and sustain long-term learning opportunities.

Exploring new education models

Policy researchers are increasingly calling for new and scalable approaches to Rohingya education.

A research initiative launched by the New Lines Institute aims to explore alternative education frameworks capable of reaching large numbers of Rohingya children while respecting Bangladesh’s policy constraints.

The proposed models emphasize technology-driven learning systems, including digital education platforms, blended learning approaches and offline teaching tools designed for low-resource environments.

Community-based facilitators could support local learning centers while trained teachers deliver standardized lessons through digital platforms. Remote teacher training and digital assessment tools may help maintain education quality across thousands of students.

Similar approaches have already been implemented in other large displacement settings with encouraging results.

When paired with internationally recognized accreditation systems, such programs could allow Rohingya students to obtain qualifications that remain valid whether they eventually return to Myanmar, resettle elsewhere or pursue further studies.

Need for sustainable funding

Another major challenge remains the lack of predictable and long-term financing for education in refugee camps.

Education programs in Cox’s Bazar frequently face annual funding shortfalls, creating uncertainty for both students and teachers.

Experts suggest that a sustainable financing model involving bilateral donors, multilateral institutions, philanthropic organizations and Muslim-majority countries could help establish stable long-term education systems.

Strategic investment for Regional stability

Improving education access could bring significant benefits for both Bangladesh and the wider region.

A scalable education system could reduce aid dependency, strengthen social stability in the camps and lower security risks associated with youth unemployment and marginalization.

Importantly, education initiatives can also align with Bangladesh’s policy stance on eventual Rohingya repatriation. By focusing on internationally transferable curricula rather than integration into the national system, education programs can prepare Rohingya students for eventual return to Myanmar rather than permanent settlement in Bangladesh.

For Myanmar itself, education will play a crucial role in any future reconstruction. The country’s stability will depend in part on whether returning Rohingya communities possess the skills necessary to contribute to economic recovery and community rebuilding.

A Critical Window of Time

For the international community, the stakes are clear.

Investing in education today is significantly less costly than managing the long-term consequences of neglect.

Refugee crises that produce generations without schooling often generate enduring economic pressures, migration flows and security challenges that extend far beyond the borders of the original conflict.

Yet time is running out.

Children who miss years of schooling rarely return to formal education later. Adolescents who never reach secondary education often drop out of learning entirely.

Today in Cox’s Bazar, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children remain in limbo — waiting for classrooms, teachers and recognized qualifications that still remain out of reach.

For policymakers, the choice is increasingly stark: invest now in a scalable education system or risk facing the long-term consequences of an entire generation left behind.

What happens to Rohingya children today may ultimately determine whether the region’s future is shaped by recovery or instability.

Education will play a decisive role in that outcome.