On the outskirts of Asosa, in Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz region near the Sudanese border, Tsore No. 2 Primary School is situated close to a refugee camp. The school, which mainly serves refugee students, has recently benefited from significant improvements due to the World Bank-supported General Education Quality Improvement Program for Equity (GEQIP-E).
Ethiopia hosts over 1,150,203 refugees and asylum seekers as of April 2025, making it the third-largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. Many of these refugees are children who risk missing out on essential education if not provided access. Education plays a crucial role in protecting young refugees from exploitation and early marriage while fostering long-term stability and integration with host communities.
In areas like Asosa, providing quality education is challenging due to limited resources exacerbated by the arrival of refugees. Schools such as Tsore No. 2 have struggled to meet basic needs. However, GEQIP-E has provided support tools that improved WASH facilities at the school under Principal Yetinayet Girma's leadership. This includes access to clean water and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) equipment. Before this support, students faced dehydration and poor hygiene daily.
The improvements have led to decreased absenteeism and dropout rates. Girls can now attend school regularly without fear or embarrassment regarding their health needs. These changes have also enhanced academic engagement as students are healthier and more focused.
These gains reflect a broader shift in Ethiopia’s education policy where GEQIP-E recognized refugee schools as part of the national system for the first time. This aligns with Ethiopia’s Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and the 2019 Refugee Proclamation, granting refugees access to national services including education.
Support through GEQIP-E was delivered via service harmonization and integration strategies. Service harmonization ensured educational quality in refugee schools matched that of host community schools through equitable learning materials, teacher training, and grants. Service integration involved embedding refugee schools into the national system under regional education bureaus' oversight.
A total of 64 schools across Ethiopia received support through GEQIP-E—54 primary and 11 secondary—along with 12 additional secondary schools in host communities enrolling refugee students. Over 167,000 refugee students benefited from this program.
Additionally, GEQIP-E trained more than 11,372 teachers in lesson planning, active learning, classroom management, continuous assessment, and gender-responsive teaching practices. Schools also received teaching materials to enhance educational quality.
"The program has allowed our students to continue their education without interruptions," said Principal Girma. "The school has become a better place for all students, and the community feels more integrated."
Despite these improvements, challenges remain at Tsore No. 2 Primary School with over 2,000 students still facing limited water access. "Based on our student population, it's not enough," Principal Girma noted. "We need more water tanks and access points." The MHM room also requires additional supplies beyond reusable pads such as soap and lotion.
Although GEQIP-E made significant progress possible, its conclusion means sustaining these achievements will require ongoing commitment from both government bodies and development partners.
The experience at Tsore No. 2 Primary School demonstrates what sustained investment in inclusive education can achieve: giving all students—including refugees—a fair chance to learn and succeed.