Natural and man-made disasters cause severe damage to education systems. Could they also provide an opportunity to reshape teaching for the better? In the aftermath of complex humanitarian emergencies, can initiatives in peace education, life skills, democracy and human rights be woven into the rehabilitation of education systems?

A study funded by UNESCO looks at what has been learned in the field of education in emergency and post-emergency situations. The report draws on the expertise of a task force made up of seven UN organisations and 11 non governmental organisations (NGOs). It argues that neglect of education in conflict-wracked states can lead to a cycle of violence and poverty in which young people grow up only learning the skills of conflict and the attitudes of revenge.

Conflict and its aftermath has become the greatest barrier to Education for All (EFA). Multiplying conflicts and natural disasters have destroyed the physical and institutional infrastructure of education systems. Millions have been displaced and deprived of opportunities to learn and to teach.

While the international community has begun the work of education in emergencies, many initiatives are makeshift. The situation requires deeper professional analysis and evaluation of needs and greater commitment of donor resources. Interventions are particularly needed to meet the immediate psycho-social needs of children affected by the trauma of conflict and displacement.

Among the many achievements in emergency education cited by the study are:

• a refugee camp in Ethiopia where a pre-school programme has demonstrated to sceptical men the ability of women to learn how to teach
• initiatives in Somalia, including a peace education programme supported by mobile tutors and a ‘school in a box’ scheme to provide methodology and materials for basic literacy and numeracy
• low-resource provision of health, nutrition and human rights education in Angola to pave the way for reintroduction of a full education system
• preventive initiatives in Bangladesh to work with school communities to minimise loss of life when cyclones strike
• literacy and skills-training for ex-combatants in Mozambique.

Emergency education should not be seen as a relief exercise, like handing out cooking pots and blankets, but as a vital dimension of national reconstruction. Policies to help governments and communities to rebuild their education systems require more than a focus on bricks and mortar, but equal concentration on curriculum, textbooks, teacher education and community participation.

The report’s detailed recommendations include:

• developing emergency education programmes to provide the knowledge and skills to move out of emergency situations such as awareness of AIDS, mines and the environment and education for peace, tolerance and respect for human rights
• ensuring educational programmes meet the needs of children and adults with disabilities, ex-combatant children and victims of AIDS or drug abuse
• involving local educational administrators in inter-agency planning workshops
• urging donors to drop the false distinction between emergency and development: reconstruction of education systems should no longer be disrupted by discontinuities arising from bureaucratic and agency mandate issues.

Source(s):
‘Education in situations of emergency and crisis: challenges for the new century’ by K. Bensalah, M. Sinclair and F. Hadj Nacer, UNESCO, 2001 Full document.

Funded by: Swedish International Development Agency + UNESCO

id21 Research Highlight: 12 November, 2002

Further Information:
Kacem Bensalah
UNESCO Education Sector
Division of Educational Policies and Strategies
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07.SP
France

Tel: +33 1 45 68 10 34
Fax: +33 1 45 68 56 45
Contact the contributor: K.bensalah@unesco.org

Contact the contributor: ed.emergency@unesco.org

UNESCO

Other related links:
'Building blocks. Reconstructing education after a crisis'

'In the line of fire - the mental health of Palestinian children'

The Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies aims to promote access and completion of education for all persons affected by emergencies

Search GINIE for resources on education in situations of crisis