KUALA LUMPUR: As if fleeing wars, conflict and natural disasters is not enough, refugees in Malaysia are also allegedly being overcharged by some informal community-based learning centres.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia said there were 183,790 refugees and asylum-seekers in the country as of 2021.
A Pakistani refugee, who preferred to be known only as Naz, said: “One of the most crucial challenges I faced in 20 years of being a refugee in Malaysia is educating my children.
“We were treated badly by the previous learning centre located in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, where my children studied for almost two years.
“As a parent struggling to cover the expenses for our children’s education, it is highly disheartening to experience biased treatment by those community-based learning centres only because of our refugee status,” said Naz, 47.
A UNHCR Malaysia spokesperson said 14% (1,234) of refugee children aged between three and five are enrolled in preschool education, 44% (5,046) aged six to 13 in primary education and 16% (874) aged 14 to 17 in secondary education.
A refugee from the Rohingya community, who requested anonymity, said: “We are charged fees that are beyond what is charged for other students at a learning centre.
“The principal provided a new fee list that was twice the amount of the previous one. As a concerned parent, I asked for some time to gather the funds, but he refused and insisted I should pay half a year’s fees as deposit.”
She added that the learning centre her children are currently attending has failed to invite refugee parents to any parent-teacher meetings.
“That is quite a concern for me, as it is important to ensure all parents feel included and informed about their children’s progress in school.”
The UNHCR spokesperson said learning centres have varying fees and enrolment policies, and not all of them require payment.
“It’s recommended to reach out to individual centres for information on their fees and policies. Since September 2017, 128 out of 700 teachers in learning centres are compensated under the Teachers’ Compensation Programme, where UNHCR pays them a salary. Regular monitoring of learning centres is done by UNHCR staff members.”
A Rohingya Community Classroom (RCCR), which is an NGO that has been running a learning centre by the same name since 2018, has taken the responsibility to educate children from the community.
Its spokesman, Mohammad Eliyas Ahmad Hussin, said: “RCCR charges RM200 a month as room rental as some of the children come from other states.
“We also charge RM300 for learning kits and RM150 for printing charges. RCCR does not charge the parents any tuition fees since the teachers are volunteers,” he told theSun.
RCCR conducts its classes in rented commercial units in Jelutong, Penang. There are 30 students separated into three groups, all taught by just one teacher.
The lessons take place in two rooms. Mohammad Eliyas said the rooms are not big enough to comfortably accommodate all the students, adding that RCCR needs to hire one more teacher, but is currently short of funds.
“It’s important to recognise that refugees possess the potential to positively impact the world, just like any other person. Many refugees who have relocated to other countries were given a chance to make valuable contributions towards the improvement and development of their community.
“Education is a potent instrument for facilitating social and economic integration of refugees like us. Access to education enables us to acquire knowledge, skills and self-sufficiency that allow us to contribute to our new communities actively.”
