Education in emergencies and conflict areas

In times of crisis, education helps build resilience and social cohesion across communities, and is fundamental to sustained recovery.

However, in emergencies states encounter difficulties in guaranteeing and protecting the right to education, particularly for already marginalized vulnerable groups, for example, persons with disabilities.

In the medium-term, education can help child soldiers, internally displaced persons, migrants, and refugees and all those affected by emergencies to reintegrate back into society.

[3] Natural disasters, such as earthquakes or typhoons, place education systems at risk of loss of life, infrastructure damage and displacement, among other threats.

[4] In Bangladesh, a component of the third primary education Development program focuses on emergencies, in recognition of the disaster risks facing the country.

[5] Many pacific island nations recognize climate change as a cause of increasing natural disaster risk and plan education structure.

The disruptions they cause affects people across communities, but their impact is more severe for disadvantaged children and their families including:[8] In response to school closures caused by COVID-19, UNESCO recommends the use of distance learning programmes and open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners remotely and limit the disruption of education.

Levels of stress can disrupt the architecture and development of brain and other biological systems with negative impacts on learning, behaviour and lifelong physical and mental health.

[12] Education can stimulate resilience, nurture learners’ social and emotional development and give children and communities hope for the future.

It helps communities rebuild, by healing some of the trauma and in the long term encouraging social cohesion, reconciliation and peacebuilding.

[13][14] Schools can help migrant and refugee children deal with trauma through psychosocial support integrated with social and emotional learning interventions, helping to build self-confidence, resilience and emotional regulation skills, and teaching children to create relationships based on trust with others.

[15] Social and emotional learning programmes address trauma as part of their broader aim to improve child and youth behaviour and academic performance.

[18] The trauma of violence in schools, whether due to the direct or indirect consequences of conflict, can have a negative impact not only on enrolment, quality and achievement but also on student mental health.