Rewrite the future: education for children in conflict-affected countries

Inclusive, good quality education can be a positive force for peace and contribute to the prevention of further conflict. Yet education – its provision and its quality – is neglected in humanitarian responses to conflict. And although there is increased interest in education and more resources put into education in post-conflict situations, it is in many cases neither appropriate nor of good quality.

In this report Save the Children presents an argument for making education part of all humanitarian responses, including those to conflict situations. It describes the extent of non-attendance across 30 conflict-affected countries. Illustrating with case studies, it describes the circumstances of children in these conflict-affected states, factors that prevent the delivery of schooling or lead to low-quality education, and barriers that prevent attendance during and after conflicts.

The report draws on research that indicates that, across the crisis-to-stability continuum, well-designed education programmes can:

• protect children cognitively, psychologically, socially and physically
• be an essential part of the recovery process for children who have lived through armed conflict
• promote conflict resolution, tolerance, human rights and citizenship
• reduce both poverty and inequality
• lay the foundation for sound governance and effective institutions.

A series of recommendations are offered throughout the report:

• genuinely listening to children and their needs must be a core part of creating policies, strategies, plans and programmes that will reach children affected by conflict
• it is critical that national authorities, however weak, are brought on board to support and assist in the eventual scaling up of local education innovations
• primary school fees must be abolished
• school curricula should be designed that impart an early understanding of human rights, social justice, teamwork and the process of peace and reconciliation, and which assist children in protecting themselves from dangers associated with conflict
• donors and international agencies must provide quality education as a front line service in all humanitarian responses within the first 30 days
• donors and international agencies should ensure that education as a humanitarian response is resourced and coordinated, and that a percentage of funds raised through UN flash appeals for emergencies are earmarked for the education sector
• promote the creation of alternative basic education programmes that include school outreach centres, out-of-school programmes and flexible-hour schooling
• there is a need to increase allocation of long-term predictable aid for education in conflict-affected fragile states.