A new agreement signed by Cambridge and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will enable refugees to take IELTS tests for free.
Around 83% of refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries, with limited prospects for higher education or employment. Just 7% of refugees who are university age and wish to continue their studies go on to access higher education. Conversely, the global average is 42%.
‘Refugees deserve the same educational opportunities as everyone else,’ said Jane Mann, Managing Director of the Partnership for Education, Cambridge. ‘Through offering IELTS tests to refugees for free, we are seeking to redress some of the inequalities that refugees face, and reduce the barriers they encounter to accessing higher education.’
English tests like IELTS can be a key career and study requirement across the world. In 2023, more than four million IELTS tests were taken across 140 countries.
Through the provision of free tests, Cambridge and UNHCR aim to enable displaced refugees the chance to build a future through education and work.
The UNHCR will identify beneficiaries and help them to find suitable locations and dates to take an IELTS test, either on paper or digitally.
Sajjad Malik, Director of the Division of Resilience and Solutions, UNHCR said:
‘At the UNHCR, we work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution or war at home. Finding refuge can also involve regaining a sense of purpose beyond mere survival―and attaining educational qualifications can be a powerful part of this.
‘We are excited to be partnering with Cambridge to help build better futures for vulnerable people keen to unlock their potential.’
