Protecting education from attack
Attacks on educational institutions, students, and education personnel are occurring at an alarming rate globally, depriving learners of their right to quality education and impeding teachers’ ability to deliver it effectively. These attacks are often committed in contexts of armed conflict, which tend to be increasingly multi-faceted and protracted.
As such, preventing and responding to these attacks requires strengthening the nexus between humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actions. Drawing from this nexus approach, UNESCO is working in 31 conflict affected countries across five regions to ensure that education systems are protective, preventative, prepared and resilient. Within the framework of SDG4, the Organization collaborates with partners at global, regional, and national levels to improve education sector coordination and monitor and respond to attacks on education.
What UNESCO does to protect education from attack
At the global level, UNESCO both leads and engages in key coordination partnerships and multilateral financing mechanisms central to the protection of education from attack and the prevention of future attacks. UNESCO's multi-national actions primarily focus on protecting education systems and strengthening resilience through policy transformation, capacity building for ministries of education, and the development and implementation of regional strategic frameworks.
Projects in conflict affected countries aim to protect vulnerable learners, ensure access to education and continuity of learning, strengthen education systems to prepare for future challenges, provide learning and employment pathways, and build teacher capacity. The Organization also supports technology-based learning solutions, sector coordination, damage monitoring, and infrastructure rehabilitation in the aftermath of attacks on education.
Following of the Executive Board in March 2024, UNESCO is engaging with Member States and other key stakeholders to develop a preventative action plan to protect education from attack.
Safeguarding education: Towards improved data on attacks on education
Through a collaboration between UNESCO, Education Above All, and KoBo Toolbox on the Global Data Service on Attacks on Education Initiative, this project explores approaches to improve the quality of data on attacks on education, in line with the Education 2030 Agenda and SDG 4.
More on education in emergencies
What UNESCO does to ensure the right to education in emergencies and building resilience in the face of crisis.
