Education

Driver of conflict or

catalyst for peace?

The Role of Education in Peacebuilding

1. Peacebuilding theory has not had a strong influence on education programming.

2. Education for peacebuilding goes beyond ‘do no harm’.

3. Most education programming is not planned from a peacebuilding perspective.

4. The sequencing of education programming is important.

The Role of Education in Peacebuilding

5. The transition from humanitarian to development funding is an important concern.

6. Peacebuilding requires more attention to education sector reform.

7. Education needs to engage with the UN peacebuilding architecture.

8. UNICEF needs to review the implications of a more explicit commitment to peacebuilding.

Big Picture:Linkages of education to other spheres

Social

Governance

Security

Economic Environmental

EDUCATION

RELEVANCE OF EDUCATION TO POST-CONFLICT TRANSFORMATIONS

SOCIAL

Focus Area Types of Program

Social capital Child friendly spaces

Social cohesion Psychosocial support

Resolving inter-group conflict Peace EducationEducation about social/cultural rights

Shifting social identities Dealing with the past, truth and reconciliation

Social networks Education about coexistence and tolerance

RELEVANCE OF EDUCATION TO POST-CONFLICT TRANSFORMATIONS

ECONOMIC

Focus Area Types of ProgramTransforming the conflict economy; redirecting resources to development

Programs to support development of relevant skills for economic regeneration

Addressing unemployment Technical and vocational education and training programmes

Developing new skills for economic regenerationAddressing economic inequalities

RELEVANCE OF EDUCATION TO POST-CONFLICT TRANSFORMATIONS

POLITICAL/GOVERNANCE

Focus area Types of Programs

Constitutional Reform Education programs about political rights

Political Institutions Education programs on child rights

Representation Civic and citizenship education

Elections Participation programs

RELEVANCE OF EDUCATION TO POST-CONFLICT TRANSFORMATIONS

SECURITY

Focus Area Types of ProgrammeReintegration Back to school, restoring

normality

Education for refugees, IDPs

DisarmamentDemobilization Reintegration

Accelerated Learning for former combatants and children who have missed out on learning

Community safety Schools as safe places, mine risk education, schools as zones of peace

Fundamental Freedoms – speech, movement

Human rights education

“Categories” within Education

• Access• Learning• Governance/Institutional Capacity

Draft diagnostic tools for assessing conflict sensitivity of Education Programs (USAID, INEE WGEF, UNICEF)

Learning: Conflict Sensitive

Curriculum and teacher training programs  and materials:

• Are free of bias, slander, prejudice, misrepresentation of minority or other groups involved in the conflict, recognize the history, accomplishments, customs, values, and traditions of all social groups

• Promote co-existence, dual narratives of history, gender equity, problem-solving and dispute resolution skills

• Provide teachers with skills in creation of classroom rules and positive discipline

Learning: Creating an Enabling Environment

• Specific skills promote student well-being (establishing classroom routines, questioning techniques to ensure ALL students participate and develop a sense of belonging)

• Group work promoting better peer relations

• Language of instruction• Early Childhood Education• ALP and Non Formal Education (adolescents)• Leadership training with a gender approach  • Youth learning linked to entrepreneurship and skills

training

Learning: Possible Issues

• Teachers use fair and transparent evaluation criteria of students

• Learner achievement is recognized and course completion documents are provided accordingly (critical in contexts of return and reintegration of IDPS and refugees)

• Is the curriculum relevant in a particular context/school environment? (psychosocial support)

Governance: Education Sector

• Teacher management: recruitment, deployment: discrimination, transparency, identity, profile, qualifications

• Financial management, expenditure tracking systems (e.g. for payment of teachers/instructors)

• Indicators and data collection systems established to effectively measure objectives of equitable access and quality education systems

• Accountability and transparency of data for EMIS and HRMIS

Governance: Education Sector

• Support to policy dialogue and formulation for youth• Accreditation systems (NF/NGO delivered training)• Restructuring of management: fair representation of

marginalized and traditionally underrepresented groups

• Government has financial plans (provision for likely decline in international support in a protracted crisis)

• Extend use of INEE MS by inter-agency coordination group

Stakeholders and Related Issues

Areas to consider: gender, ethnicity, clan, tribe, disabilities, religion, geographic location, urban/rural, age group disaggregation) - EQUITY

• Children and youth• Teachers - AGENTS OF CHANGE- (deployment, payment,

accommodation and transportation)• School community stakeholders (parents, grandparents, PTA

and SMC members)• Education personnel (school monitors, MoE staff at all levels)• Education planners & policy makers• Financial allocations to the education sector

(centralized/decentralized, school grants) – sector reform• Include peacebuilding community in consultations• Emergency preparedness and DRR – vulnerability versus

resilience (complex emergencies)

The Global View

Ongoing work in education and peacebuilding:

- New indicators and approaches to monitoring (measuring perceptions and attitudes) (PBSO, UNDP/BCPR, UNICEF, USAID, INEE)

- SPAG- Nepal: Schools as Zones of Peace (share what

works)- Education in Emergencies and Post Crisis Transition

(evidence, lessons learned, documentation)- Global Monitoring Report- Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack