English |

The relationship between education systems and conflict presents policymakers with a conundrum. Schools are almost always complicit in conflict. They reproduce the skills, values, attitudes, and social relations of dominant groups in society; accordingly, they are usually a contributory factor in conflict. Simultaneously reconstructing and reforming education is increasingly viewed as a critical element in the strategy to reduce the risk of conflict or relapse into conflict. The central message of this paper, therefore, is that conflict presents not only challenges for reconstruction but also significant opportunities for reform of education systems. The challenge of simultaneous reform and reconstruction at a time of constrained human, financial, and institutional resources and considerable urgency calls for particular attention to priorities and sequencing of interventions. Short-term immediate responses need to be conceptualized within a framework that provides for more substantial systemic reform as the new political vision emerges and system capacity is built.

Conflict, which has been conceptualized as “development in reverse,” should be analyzed in the context of its impact on development. Reducing poverty and decreasing reliance on primary commodity exports, both of which require a functioning and effective education system, have been shown to be critical strategies for reducing the risk of conflict. Ethnic or religious dominance rather than diversity is also a powerful contributory factor in civil conflict; education has a key role in mediating or deepening ethnic, religious, and other identity-based conflicts. Civil war itself increases the likelihood of further outbreaks of conflict. Education that helps to build stronger resilience to conflict is therefore a critical strategy for postconflict reconstruction.

Conflict has a devastating impact on education, both directly in terms of the suffering and psychological impact on the pupils, teachers, and communities, and in the degradation of the education system and its infrastructure. Yet these same education systems are expected to make a significant contribution to rebuilding a shattered society at a time when they themselves are debilitated by the effects of conflict. Fortunately, as this study demonstrates, schools and education systems are surprisingly resilient, and the disruption caused by conflict offers opportunities as well as challenges for social reconstruction. The paper offers an overview of the key findings of a study of education and postconflict reconstruction and draws on a literature review, a database of key indicators for 52 conflict-affected countries, and a review of 12 country studies.