UNESCO empowers Rohingya refugee teachers in Bangladesh

Mohammed Ayaz’s story began close to rock bottom. Displaced from Myanmar in 2017 and living in Camp 15, he had studied in Burmese before his displacement, but years in the camps had eroded his skills. His job was at risk. 

“I was about to lose my job as a teacher at the learning centre, as there are teachers’ competency tests, where my limited Burmese knowledge was a challenge,” he tells.

The training changed his trajectory. 

“Before, I used to pause a lot while speaking. Now I can speak fluently and confidently. I feel proud to teach my own community with correct Burmese pronunciation.”

Today, Mohammed Ayaz has progressed to become a trainer himself, mentoring other  educators and multiplying the programme’s reach across the camps.

“If we train 100 teachers well, they will train another 100 in the learning centres. Step by step, we can improve Burmese proficiency across the camps, and our children will receive quality education.”