New report identifies urgency to address funding gaps in education in emergencies, says World Vision

Wednesday, September 9, 2015
  • Thirteen million children are not in school because of conflict and political upheaval across the Middle East and North Africa.
  • In Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya alone, nearly 9,000 schools are out of use because they’ve been destroyed, damaged, are being used to shelter displaced civilians or have been taken over by parties to the conflicts.
  • More than 700,000 Syrian refugee children are unable to attend school because the overburdened national education infrastructures in host countries cannot cope with the extra student load.

September 9, 2015 – More than 13 million children across the Middle East and North Africa have been forced out of school due to conflict and escalating political tensions in the region, according to a new report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on September 3.The report, Education Under Fire, focuses on the impact of violence on school children and education systems in nine countries that have been directly or indirectly impacted by violence.

“Out-of-school children, particularly those displaced by conflict, face extreme protection risks such as increased vulnerability to exploitation, abuse, early marriage, child labour and recruitment into armed forces and groups,” says Linda Hiebert, Senior Director, Education and Life Skills, World Vision International.

According to the report, attacks on schools and education infrastructure are one reason why many children are not in class. In Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya alone, nearly 9,000 schools are out of use because they’ve been destroyed, damaged, are being used to shelter displaced civilians or have been taken over by parties to the conflicts.

Fear is also a driver of the issue as teachers leave their posts and parents keep their children at home rather than sending them to schools. “No parent anywhere should have to fear sending their child to school,” says Ms. Hiebert.

Education in disaster contexts can be a critical, life-saving and protective response activity. It offers a safe place for children to learn, play and rebuild important social relationships. It should be a priority investment in conflicts and protracted crises. The report highlights a range of initiatives – including the use of self-learning and expanded learning spaces – that help children learn even in the most desperate of circumstances. But it says that the funding this work receives is not commensurate with the burgeoning needs. For example, in 2014, only 1 per cent of humanitarian aid went to education in emergencies.

“The responsibility for providing education to children continues to slip through the cracks between development financing and emergency humanitarian aid,” says Ms. Hiebert.

Education Under Fire calls on the international community, host governments, policy makers, the private sector and other partners to: reduce the number of children out of school through the expansion of informal education services especially for vulnerable children; provide more support to national education systems in conflict-hit countries and host communities, to expand learning spaces, recruit and train teachers and provide learning materials; and in countries affected by the Syria crisis, advocate for the recognition and certification of non-formal education services.

“The report is particularly timely. Ultimately we want to ensure disruption to children’s education is as minimal as possible, even in times of conflict and crisis,” says Ms.Hiebert. “A child’s right to education should not stop just because schools may be out of their reach, have closed or, in fact, no longer exist.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  • In Lebanon, Jordan and the Kurdish Region of Iraq, World Vision runs education programmes for school-age children. Through these programmes, children are able to continue their education in the hope they can re-join the formal education system in the future.
  • For more information please contact Bryna Jones from World Vision at bryna_jones@wvi.org
  • Follow @WorldVisionEdu on Twitter for more news and updates from the Education and Life Skills team
  • World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. For more information, visit www.wvi.org