Delivering education during conflict

Canadian Social Science Vol. 12, No. 7, 2016, pp. 8-12, 2016

Conflicts have devastating impact on children's education. Formal and non-formal education structures are corroded, communities displaced and fragmented and educational inputs threatened. Maintaining a sufficient educational corps, recruiting educators, properly training and remunerating them become a challenge. During conflicts, the state may not have the capacity and political will to provide education. Communities in troubled or remote areas may become isolated and beyond the reach of government services and this may create gap which needs to be filled by non-state actors to ensure learning continues. Education is important both for its intrinsic human worth and for possibilities for societal improvement which may contribute towards an end to the conflict, the provision of schooling becomes a priority and focus of community engagement. In the absence or inability of an education authority to manage the education system, the community needs to step in to re-establish schools and keep the system functioning. The research sets out to explore the types of roles communities play in the provision of education and the conditions that may hinder or encourage positive engagement in both emergency and reconstruction settings. The research recommends that social and affective aspects of learning and active participation of all should be emphasized towards improving the educational quality in situations of post-conflict. Cultural and social dimension should be at the centre of community participation in education.

PROSPECTS, 2011

Education for All (EFA) was a promise made by 155 countries and about 150 representatives of humanitarian organizations in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990. This promise was reiterated in Dakar, Senegal in 2000, where six broad goals and targets were set to be met by 2015. In 2011, the international community is far from achieving these goals; yet, as the 2011 Global Monitoring Report shows, considerable efforts have been made and achievements are visible. For example, some of the poorest countries are doubling their primary enrolment rates and narrowing their gender gaps. The articles published in this special issue on Education and Armed Conflict are based on selected background papers, which were commissioned for the 2011 EFA Global Monitoring Report. The 2011 report highlights one of the greatest barriers to reaching the EFA goals: conflict. Many countries suffer from continuous or spontaneous conflict, which creates unstable conditions for civilians, and particularly children, who are too often forced to leave behind the little education that they were receiving in order to escape from the conflict. Due to the nature of conflict, humanitarian efforts must, more often than not, focus on the immediate survival of victims, by providing shelter, water, food, and medical care. However, some of these conflicts are continuous, forcing people to live for years in temporary arrangements, where, without education, they may completely lose hope for a better future. The Global Monitoring Report stresses that education is life-saving, especially for those living in conflict, and should therefore be treated as such in the humanitarian response. As Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, expressed it at the official launch of the report in New York on March 1st, ''education cannot remain the poor cousin of international efforts to manage conflicts''. Providing education in a post-conflict context helps national reconstruction, in a different and more profound way than meeting only basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. Furthermore, an education that promotes human rights and civic values can go a long way in helping the next generation to work towards a self-sustaining and peaceful society. In fact, more often than not, it is the populations affected by conflict that demand an education so they can actively create a better future for

In February 2011, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) finalized a new strategy for its work in education around the world. Of its three key goals, the third goal focuses on "access to education in crisis and conflict environments," establishing the first explicit reference to the impact of crises on education, and of education on crises, for USAID initiatives. With this change, USAID underscores the importance of supporting education programs for conflict-affected populations. To administer effective programs that are not detrimental to the populations they aim to serve, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of current programs and of the ways education and violent conflict interact. In this paper we seek to answer the following questions: What is the relationship between education and conflict? How might education mitigate conflict? Toward this end, what works and what does not in program interventions? We gather practitioner knowledge of the relationship between education and conflict mitigation to prepare USAID education officers to design, implement, and monitor "education in emergencies" programs and to respond better to partners' needs in the field.

International Review of the Red Cross, 2017

Education has received increased attention within the humanitarian sector. In conflict-affected contexts, access to education may be hampered by attacks against and the military use of educational facilities as well as attacks and threats of attacks against students, teachers and other education-related persons. Affected populations may also find themselves unable to access education, for example due to displacement.This article looks into the different sets of humanitarian responses aimed at (1) ensuring the protection of educational facilities and related persons, mostly through advocacy efforts centred on weapons bearers, and (2) (re-)establishing education services where they are not present or are no longer functioning, mostly through programmes directed at affected populations. It then argues that, in contrast with dominant practices, the protection of education can also be ensured through programmatic responses with meaningful participation of affected communities, and examin...

PROSPECTS, 2011

Amid rising violence against civilian aid operations in insecure environments, attacks on the education sector pose a unique set of challenges for international aid actors. In recent years incidents of violence targeting the education sector in Afghanistan and the conflict-affected areas of Pakistan have increased. This article synthesizes recent research, quantitative analyses, and observations of practitioners in order to explore the key issues facing aid workers in the education sector. The findings suggest that in extremely violent and polarized environments such as Afghanistan and the conflict-affected areas of Pakistan, the international community can provide education assistance more effectively and securely through a low-profile, community-based approach that de-emphasizes the role of government, and avoids, as far as possible, any association with international political/ military actors. The authors conclude that education sector coordinators could play a larger role in providing practical guidance and supporting an inter-agency dialogue to share lessons and good practice in delivering education services in these contexts. Keywords Aid workers Á Security Á Education in emergencies Á Afghanistan Á Pakistan Á Conflict In recent years, attacks against schools, teachers, and students have proliferated in some of the world's most challenging conflict environments, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, the occupied Palestinian Territories, Nepal, and Colombia. Thanks in part to the significant advocacy efforts of some key international entities with mandates to support education and This article is based on a background paper for the 2011 UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report, The Hidden Crisis: Armed Conflict and Education.

2024

Early childhood education (ECE) conflict zones face profound challenges that undermine children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. Armed conflicts disrupt access to education through displacement, infrastructure destruction, and insecurity, leaving millions of children without safe learning environments (UNICEF, 2023). This report focuses on Syria, where years of war have deprived over two million children of education (UNESCO, 2018). These children face severe psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, impairing their ability to learn and develop (Save the Children, 2020). This report emphasizes the dual importance of immediate and sustainable solutions to address these challenges. Immediate measures include providing psychological support, temporary learning spaces, and access to basic educational resources, while sustainable approaches, such as the “Hope Initiative,” focus on creating resilient educational systems capable of withstanding future crises. This initiative, inspired by global best practices, proposes an integrated framework of proactive strategies, including teacher training, resource mobilization, and technology-driven learning solutions (Moving Minds Alliance, 2023). Using a mixed-methods approach, the study incorporates interviews with affected families, surveys with victims and their families, and case studies, such as that of Ahmed, a young Syrian child navigating educational challenges amid conflict. Findings reveal that displacement, resource shortages, and psychological stress significantly hinder educational progress, while community-driven initiatives provide hope and resilience. The report underscores the urgent need for regional collaboration and innovative policies to ensure that education remains a priority, even in the most challenging environments (Global Education Monitoring Report, 2019). This research reaffirms the transformative power of education as a tool for resilience, community empowerment, and long-term peacebuilding. By addressing the unique needs of children in conflict zones, we can pave the way for a future where every child, regardless of circumstance, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to a more peaceful world.

2011

In February 2011, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) finalized a new strategy for its work in education around the world. Of its three key goals, the third goal focuses on “access to education in crisis and conflict environments,” establishing the first explicit reference to the impact of crises on education, and of education on crises, for USAID initiatives. With this change, USAID underscores the importance of supporting education programs for conflict-affected populations. To administer effective programs that are not detrimental to the populations they aim to serve, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of current programs and of the ways education and violent conflict interact. In this paper we seek to answer the following questions: What is the relationship between education and conflict? How might education mitigate conflict? Toward this end, what works and what does not in program interventions? We gather practitioner knowledge of the rel...

Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 2014

Civil wars impede progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. As many conflicts re-erupt within a short time, it is important to know what may increase the chances of sustainable peace. Access to education is a factor but relatively little is known about the contribution of what students learn in school. This thesis aims to respond to a research gap by addressing the following question: 'How can schooling contribute to conflict transformation?' Significant curricular approaches that may he used after civil war-peace education, human. rights education and citizenship education-are assessed for their strengths and weaknesses. As no single approach is found to be sufficient for conflict transformation, a framework is proposed based on three fundamental concepts: (i) truth seeking; (ii) reconciliation; and (iii) inclusive citizenship. This framework is examined through a qualitative case study of curriculum in seven schools in a district in northern Uganda that is emerging from a twenty-year civil war. The curriculum of four primary schools, two secondary schools, one special school and one teacher training college was studied over a three-month period. A structure of knowledge, skills and values was used to research the framework at a detailed level. It is found that schools exhibit good socialization of reconciliation values and some development of problem-solving and communication skills. There is some understanding of human rights, hut little knowledge of history, or of local, national and international political/legal systems. There is minimal development of discussion and critical thinking skills. It is argued that the framework can be used to investigate other schools and to inform the design of a curriculum that can contribute to conflict transformation, with the ultimate aim of reducing the risk of civil war re-eruption. 3 7 8 'Recovery' is therefore identified with 'development'. Until recently, in the United Nations system education was seen as part of longer-terrn development work, rather than a necessary response to emergency. During and immediately after armed conflict, however, education can be treated as a humanitarian response. As such, it is known as the fourth 'pillar', after water, food, shelter and health (Retamal and Aedo-12 http://www.undp.org/cpr/we do/earlx recovery.shtml (last accessed 14/9/10). 13 'Early Recovery' is defined as "a multidimensional process of recovery that begins in a humanitarian setting. It is guided by development principles that seek to build on humanitarian programmes and to catalyse sustainable development opportunities. It aims to generate self-sustaining, nationally-owned, resilient processes for postcrisis recovery. It encompasses the restoration of basic services, livelihoods, shelter, governance, security and rule of law, environment and social dimensions, including the reintegration of displaced populations. It stabilizes human security and where the opportunity exists begins to address underlying risks that contributed to the crisis. ,.

2014

This report is a rigorous literature review on the political economy of education systems in conflict-affected contexts and is aimed at education advisers and agencies, development practitioners and Ministry of Education policy makers working in conflict-affected contexts. The report seeks to provide theoretically informed and policy relevant insights on the global, national and local governance of education systems in conflict-affected contexts garnered from a rigorous review of the academic and policy literature on the political economy of education in conflict-affected contexts. The review was driven by three main questions: (1) What are the underpinning assumptions of the main bodies of political economy research in education and conflict? (2) What can the political economy of education literature since 1990 inform us about educational change and reform in conflict-affected contexts? (3) What are the strengths, weaknesses, blind spots and research gaps in the political economy o...

PROSPECTS, 2011

In recent years, Save the Children, a non-governmental organization, prioritized education for children affected by conflict through its Rewrite the Future Campaign. By significantly scaling up the resources allocated to programmes in conflict-affected countries, the organization has grown its education programmes in these contexts. Thus it has enabled 1.3 million more children to have access to education and improved the quality of education for more than 10 million. The campaign also had an international impact by analysing and advocating for increases in aid flows to conflict-affected countries. This has made the international community more aware of the need for access to education for children affected by conflict and more willing to ensure it. The article highlights the achievements of Save the Children UK, and the challenges it faces, by looking at funding volumes and sources of funding for country programme activities, along with its international influence on the global funding for countries affected by conflict. Keywords Conflict Á Emergencies Á Education Á Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Á Aid Á Save the Children Á Rewrite the Future campaign Save the Children, a non-governmental organization, has been fighting for children's rights for over 90 years. Ensuring access to education has always been a key part of the organization's mandate; in recent years, however, education, and particularly education for children affected by conflict and emergencies, has taken a high profile. In 2004 the International Save the Children Alliance agreed to launch several five-year global challenges; Alliance members made these a priority and worked on them together. This article is based on a background paper for the 2011 UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report, The Hidden Crisis: Armed Conflict and Education.