Eritrea gained independence from successive Ethiopian governments in 1991, following a devastating 30-year war. The quality of education had dramatically deteriorated over this time, with an illiteracy rate of over 70%, a very low attainment level among students and teachers, and a shortage of schools exacerbated by war damage. Since gaining independence, however, Eritrea has made substantial investment in a plan intended to quickly raise the country’s education levels. Over 50 million US dollars have been used to provide undergraduate scholarships for almost 1,000 Eritreans, the recruitment of expatriate professionals, and training for members of the Eritrean civil service. While progress has certainly been made, there remains a lot to be done. The establishment of postgraduate programs, access to strong internet capacity, and construction of new buildings are essential needs that are expected to be implemented in the near future.

Access to Higher Education

The Eritrean government’s huge amount of investment to expand access to higher education, restructuring from one university to six higher education institutions, has almost doubled student enrolment. At the same time, the National Higher Education & Research Institute (NHERI) has been working to standardize the quality of the education system and increase higher education opportunities, revising academic deadlines, providing students and staff with scholarships to study abroad, developing international linkages, and opening postgraduate degree programs. Tuition in Eritrea is also free at all levels. Further investment is required to amend the shortage of teaching facilities including lab and workshop equipment, information and communication technologies, books and journals, as well as a lack of qualified instructors.

Migration and Mobility in Youth

As a result of its long history of brutal colonialism, as well as a subsequent border war with Ethiopia from 1998 to 2000, Eritrea has one of the highest rates of forced displacement in the world as a proportion of its population. Reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that, by the end of 2018, over 507,300 Eritreans were forcibly displaced across many countries. Young people are the primary demographic affected by involuntary displacement with no political structures in place to support them, and thousands of Eritrean refugees have disappeared without a trace in organised trafficking. Eritrean youth continue to face marginalisation due to strict immigration and asylum policies in their new destinations, such as in the UK, where the Nationality and Borders Act and Rwanda Deal have made it impossible for forced migrants to seek asylum or access services.