Protecting education from attack
| UNESCO | 2011
Attacks on education occur in many countries that face armed confl ict and insecurity. Carried out for political, military, ideological, sectarian, ethnic, religious and criminal reasons by state and non-state actors alike, these incidents involve the intentional use of force in ways that disrupt and deter educational provision. Such attacks are directed against learners, educators, education aid workers, education trade unionists and educational institutions at all levels. They include targeted killings, disappearances, kidnapping, forced exile, imprisonment, torture, maiming, rape by soldiers and security forces, recruitment of child soldiers, harassment and intimidation, and occupation and destruction of educational facilities.
Education is a fundamental right – both an end in itself and an enabling right; access to quality education enables people to secure and enjoy other rights. When provided in safe learning environments, education can also play a vital role in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial protection of individuals affected by confl ict and insecurity – particularly children and young people – and in the long-term recovery of communities. Yet targeted attacks on learners, educators and infrastructure undermine the likelihood of delivering the life-saving and life-sustaining supports that education can afford. Failure to provide adequate protection of education exacerbates other existing threats to wellbeing. Given that countries affected by confl ict are home to a signifi cant proportion of those who are not able to receive an education, the impact of such attacks must be addressed if sustainable progress is to be made towards the achievement of education for all (EFA).
Reducing the incidence of education-related attacks and ending impunity are critical to the safety and development of individuals and communities affected by confl ict and insecurity. While some progress has been made, particularly in raising awareness of the nature and scale of targeted violence, attacks continue and impunity persists.
Since 2000, considerable work has been done by the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and its members to develop good practice standards for the delivery of educational services in various crisis situations. There has been less attention, however, focused on the legal, practical and advocacy dimensions of protecting education systems, infrastructure, staff and students in times of armed confl ict and insecurity.
Sprache | English
Protecting education from attack