Why Certification Matters: A Review of State and Non-State Actions in Cote d'Ivoire for Promoting Schooling for the Displaced

What education options do displaced children have once conflict uproots them from their homes? How is their learning certified, and how can they make a bridge with their pre-war educational attainments? By drawing on the cases of Liberian refugees in Cote d'Ivoire over the period 1992-2007 and recent experiences of primary and secondary school students displaced by the Ivorian civil war, this article explores the challenges related to the continuity of education. It examines in particular the extent to which Liberian refugees were treated differently from displaced Ivorians and how non-State providers complemented State action when providing schooling opportunities to the displaced, often acting in parallel with it. The analysis is mainly based on grey literature collected on site, the study of local scholarly work, and semi-structured interviews with key informants.