Abstract

Education in emergencies (EiE) is relevant because it focuses on populations affected by natural disasters or conflicts. To our knowledge, no prior study has analyzed learning achievements among internally displaced persons (IDPs) using residence subgroups. Therefore, this study examines the learning outcomes of 309 children enrolled in the Jesuit Refugee Service’s accelerated learning program (JRS-ALP) for IDPs in northeastern Nigeria. Drawing on a broad evaluation of the project, we examine the achievement gains of different participant subgroups to provide evidence to support related practices and contribute to knowledge about accelerated learning pedagogy vis-à-vis EiE. The results show a substantial achievement gain in literacy and numeracy across groups, with some differences emerging by gender and geographical spread. Our conclusion is that in northeastern Nigeria, where there has been a historically low penetration of formal education and other barriers to the education of displaced individuals, the JRS-ALP is robust in bridging the gap of inequities in EiE. Using the accelerated learning pedagogy-EiE model, humanitarian education could foster hope when transitioning beneficiaries to formal schools and restoring the dignity of displaced persons.