Funding for Education in Armed Conflicts

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In international debates over the post-2015 global education agenda, one vital population has been comparatively neglected: those affected by violent armed conflict. This includes refugees (people who cross an international border fleeing persecution or war), internally displaced persons (IDPs), and those harmed by conflict without being displaced. During wars, education systems, personnel and students suffer the effects of conflict and forced displacement (UNESCO 2011: 132-159) creating a hidden crisis that reinforces poverty and undermines economic growth. The focus of this memo is on the provision of education in conflict emergencies through more appropriate funding levels and policy. It examines (1) the importance of educational provision in conflict emergencies in the light of post-2015 debates; (2) the unusual, often threatening institutional environments in which education is conducted during conflict emergencies; (3) several policy dilemmas in conflict emergencies (curriculum choices, secondary education, vocational education and training, teacher supply and management); and (4) policy recommendations for the provision of education in armed conflict settings.

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN VIOLENT ARMED CONFLICT SETTINGS

The Two-Sided Nature of Education

Education policies and practices can play a variety of roles in the underlying causes of conflicts. Restricted educational opportunities deepen poverty and worsen insecurity (Tawil and Harley 2004: 17). Unequal access to educational opportunities fuels grievances and a sense of injustice. Education of bad quality can be highly divisive, particularly if decisions about curriculum content, textbooks or language of instruction exclude or allow vilification of some social groups, and if education reinforces messages that violence is an acceptable solution to personal, social or political problems (UNESCO 2011: 160-17). A challenge for education providers in emergencies is to avoid such...