Silencing Education: Israel’s Demolition of EU-Funded Schools in Palestine Stirs Outcry and Undermines Human Rights

Written by Frida Brekk

Recent events in Palestine have raised concerns and sparked outrage as Israel demolishes EU-funded schools, drawing widespread criticism from international bodies. These demolitions have intensified regional tensions and highlighted the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This article aims to provide an overview of the situation, exploring the reasons behind the demolitions, the reactions from various stakeholders, and the implications for education in Palestine.

A Palestinian school demolished by Israeli Occupation Forces in Hebron, occupied Palestine. Photo by Falastin-48.

On May 7, 2023, Israel demolished a Palestinian school funded by the European Union, prompting condemnation from the international community and eliciting strong criticism from the global community. The school, located in a Palestinian village in the West Bank, was part of a broader initiative to support and bolster educational opportunities in the region. This demolition has emerged as a pivotal moment within the highly volatile context, exacerbating the anger and frustration among Palestinians and their supporters. This incident has intensified the already heightened emotions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding to the grievances and discontent within the affected communities.

The Israeli authorities have put forth several justifications for the destruction. They have highlighted the lack of proper permits and non-compliance with building regulations as primary reasons for their actions. Israeli officials argue these structures were erected without authorization and pose potential security risks. However, critics of these demolitions raise significant concerns about the complexity and restrictiveness of the Israeli permit process. They argue that Palestinians face numerous obstacles in obtaining the necessary permits, creating a cycle wherein unauthorized construction becomes the only viable option. Consequently, the demolitions become an unfortunate consequence of the limitations imposed by the Israeli permit system, perpetuating a cycle of illegal construction and subsequent destruction of vital educational infrastructure in Palestinian communities. This cycle disrupts Palestinian students’ lives and undermines the prospects of stability and development in the region.

Israel’s demolition of EU-funded schools in Palestine has ignited significant international condemnation, with the European Union emerging as a prominent voice of criticism. The EU has vehemently expressed its profound apprehension regarding destroying educational infrastructure, considering it a clear violation of international law. The incident has strained the relationship between Israel and the European Union, leading to deliberations on potential ramifications and diplomatic consequences.

The condemnation from the EU underscores the gravity of the situation and emphasizes the urgency for a resolution to address the demolition of these vital educational facilities. School demolitions have far-reaching implications for education in the region. Beyond the immediate destruction of physical infrastructure, these demolitions infringe upon Palestinian children’s fundamental right to education. Access to quality education is vital for the holistic development of children, encompassing their social, intellectual, and emotional growth. By demolishing schools, the academic progress of Palestinian students is disrupted, depriving them of a fundamental human right.

Moreover, the demolitions undermine international efforts to improve educational opportunities in Palestine. The European Union and other international entities have been actively supporting and funding initiatives to enhance education in the region. These efforts aim to provide Palestinian children with quality education, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for their future. However, the destruction of EU-funded schools undermines these collective endeavours, hindering progress towards achieving educational development goals. The denial of education impacts individual students and has broader consequences for the entire Palestinian society. Education plays a crucial role in shaping the future of communities, fostering social cohesion, and empowering individuals to contribute positively to their institutions. The demolition of schools obstructs these transformative processes, perpetuating a cycle of inequality and limited opportunities for Palestinian children. Addressing the implications of the destruction of education in Palestine requires collective action and international cooperation. Efforts must be made to rebuild and rehabilitate educational infrastructure, ensuring Palestinian children access safe and conducive learning environments. Additionally, advocacy for protecting the right to education, as enshrined in international human rights instruments, is crucial.

Human rights organizations and proponents of Palestinian rights have strongly emphasized the need for accountability and cessation of the demolitions of EU-funded schools in Palestine. These advocates assert that Israel must be held responsible for destroying educational infrastructure, considering it a violation of the right to education enshrined in international human rights frameworks. The call for accountability resonates with the broader aim of ensuring that all parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are held to the standards of international law. It emphasizes the significance of safeguarding the right to education as a fundamental human right, especially for vulnerable populations such as Palestinian children.

Additionally, these organizations and advocates urge international bodies to take tangible and proactive measures to protect and promote the right to education in Palestine, including monitoring and reporting on violations, engaging in diplomatic efforts to halt the demolitions, and supporting the reconstruction and rehabilitation of educational infrastructure.

The involvement of international entities in safeguarding the right to education is essential to create a conducive and secure environment for Palestinian students to access quality education. By advocating for accountability and appealing to international bodies, human rights organizations and advocates for Palestinian rights aim to bring attention to the violations of educational rights in Palestine. Their efforts seek to ensure that all children in the region have equal opportunities for education and the chance to develop their potential, contributing to a more just and equitable future.

The demolition has unleashed a powerful surge of criticism and alarm, casting a glaring spotlight on the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The obliteration of educational infrastructure stands as a formidable barrier to the aspirations of Palestinian children, impeding their path to quality education and hindering their overall development. In response, the international community, including influential players such as the European Union, has united in a resounding call for accountability and a relentless pursuit of resolution. These collective efforts aim to prevent further human rights violations, particularly the right to education, and ensure that every child in Palestine has an unimpeded opportunity to flourish academically, fostering a future of dignity and equality.

Sources:

[https://twitter.com/rihamjafari/status/1655188652316581889?s=46&t=rRZ3C1VSbq2cHxaJpAPYLg](https://twitter.com/rihamjafari/status/1655188652316581889?s=46&t=rRZ3C1VSbq2cHxaJpAPYLg “smartCard-inline”)

[https://twitter.com/rihamjafari/status/1655188652316581889?s=46&t=rRZ3C1VSbq2cHxaJpAPYLg](https://twitter.com/rihamjafari/status/1655188652316581889?s=46&t=rRZ3C1VSbq2cHxaJpAPYLg “smartCard-inline”)

[https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/05/07/israel-demolishes-eu-funded-palestinian-school-drawing-criticism_6025795_4.html](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/05/07/israel-demolishes-eu-funded-palestinian-school-drawing-criticism_6025795_4.html “smartCard-inline”)

[https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230507-israel-demolishes-palestinian-school-drawing-eu-rebuke](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230507-israel-demolishes-palestinian-school-drawing-eu-rebuke “smartCard-inline”)

Photo link: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/zazw81/a_palestinian_school_demolished_by_israeli/

The Educational Crisis in Tigray: The Devastating Effects of Civil War in Northwestern Ethiopia

Written by Joan Vilalta

After enduring the hardships of the Covid-19 pandemic, which implied a range of socioeconomic challenges, including educational impoverishment due to the closure of schools, the Tigray territory in northwestern Ethiopia suffered yet another blow in November of 2020, when civil war struck the region. The consequences of the conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia’s National Defence Forces (ENDF), aided by the Eritrean military, represent one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the world, piling on top of several longstanding crises in Ethiopia such as severe drought and acute famine. The consequences of this conflict are broad, including a critical situation regarding education. 

According to the latest UN OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) report on the matter, around 85% of the schools in Tigray have been partially or entirely damaged by the conflict, and some 411.000 school-age children are in dire need of essential services, which profoundly affects their educational development. The UN plans to cover the needs of 3.6 million affected children and almost 190.000 teachers by providing accelerated learning activities for those who have been out of school for more than three years and providing psychosocial and mental health support services and learning packages.[1]

The current conflict was prompted by a power struggle between the TPLF and the current Ethiopian president Abiy Ahmed. The TPLF ruled the country for over thirty years until Ahmed came to power in 2018 to dismantle the TPLF’s regime. As Ahmed became the president of the country, he managed to rearrange the political power while ostracizing the TPLF. Parallelly, Ahmed also managed to end the longstanding war with neighbouring Eritrea.

On the 4th of November 2020, the government accused the TPLF of attacking a military base near Mekelle and ordered a military intervention to address the situation while calling for the aid of Eritrean forces and Tigray’s neighbouring region’s militias. Since then, the scale of the conflict has grown exponentially, with both sides committing mass killings and other atrocities that have called the attention of the international community. Ethnic discrimination against Tigrayans has been speculated to be entangled with the motivations of this war. It should be considered that while the focus of the conflict was on Tigray, conflict consequences eventually extended to the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar.

In March 2022, the government agreed to an indefinite ceasefire, but the conflict resumed in August. Nevertheless, a permanent cessation of hostilities was agreed upon in November 2022. While at this moment, the situation seems to have calmed down, Ethiopia now faces the aftermath of a devastating conflict, which calls for accountability on both sides as well as amending the several crises stemming from the war, among them the educational crisis. 

One of the main reasons why the war on Tigray provoked an educational crisis was the military occupation of schools to use them as bases, accompanied by the plundering, pillaging, and looting of academic centres and the extensive structural damage suffered by the buildings. 

IDP families and children at Primaray School in Mekelle IDP center April 15, 2021. Photo by UNICEF Ethiopia.

There have been many examples of this on both sides of the conflict. For instance, the historical school of Atse Yohannes in Mekelle was used by the ENDF for half a year, Eritrean forces used a primary school in Basen, and the TPLF used an elementary school in Bissober. This, of course, prompted the closure of schools, impeding the attendance of teachers and students, and resulted in extensive damage to infrastructure and school material since the use of the school would make the school a likely confrontation scenario. In some cases, it even resulted in derogatory messages towards locals being painted on the school walls. 

According to several sources, around 2.8 million children missed out on education because of the war, and more than 2000 causalities have been reported regarding students and teachers. 

The death of teachers and principals also represents a problem since it has generated a shortage of school staff, especially in areas where access to such qualifications is reduced. Due to this shortage, teachers are now forced to have many students in each class, making monitoring students’ progress closely difficult.

Beyond the military use of schools, a range of problems regarding quality and access to education emerged from the war. Trauma and psychological duress have been rampant among students and teachers, negatively impacting their capacity to attain their learning objectives. 

Families’ financial losses provoked by the conflict, combined with extreme drought, famine, and health insecurity, have prompted students to stop learning activities to contribute to their family’s economy. Poverty has also hampered the recovery of damaged schools and the capacity to provide a salary for school staff. Teachers have also been more unable to perform their duties since they had to focus on surviving the situation.

The war on Tigray has generated an estimated 3.5 million internally displaced people, mostly women and children. Internally displaced students often found themselves in precarious situations and could not attend school. Students who moved to regions with different indigenous languages also found a barrier to school integration. In many cases, even to this day, internally displaced people and refugees from the war have sheltered themselves inside schools, the occupation of the space being an obstacle to resuming regular school activity.

According to research on the impact of armed violence on students’ educational attainment in Tigray, the school enrollment rates dropped dramatically due to conflict (almost a 10% decline in the studied areas), and educational wastage overall increased, with dropout and repetition rates at risk of rising. Moreover, the long-term impact of the educational crises is the potential lack of social capital and skills of future generations, rendering the communities of Tigray even more vulnerable.

While humanitarian aid is currently reaching the affected areas in northwestern Ethiopia, it should be noted that the mere reopening of schools without further consideration won’t be a fully effective solution. Facilities will need to be safely rebuilt, and students and teachers will have to deal with the traumatic experience of war and loss in the coming years. Tigray’s educational system was not built overnight, and recovery will not be quick either. Aid and resources such as school materials or teacher training will be crucial to restore the system.

Finally, it should be noted that this educational crisis was not entirely unavoidable. The occupation and looting of schools for military purposes are rarely justified under Ethiopian law. They can constitute a war crime and a human rights violation since it deprives children of access to education. More than that, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child has urged African countries to ban the use of schools for military purposes or to enact specific measures to discourage it. The African Union Peace and Security Council has also called upon African countries to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, which contains concrete protection measures. In this sense, Broken Chalk encourages the Ethiopian authorities to support such mandates, to strengthen the law and its application to protect the educational system, as well as to provide the necessary aid sociopsychological and material to affected students and school staff during the coming years to ensure they can recover and strive for the development they deserve.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Assefa, Y., Tilwani, S. A., Moges, B. T., & Shah, M. A. (2022). The impact of armed violence on students’ educational attainment and the role of parents in resilience schooling and the education process. Heliyon, 8(12), e12192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12192

Cable News Network (CNN). (2022, November 11). Tigray conflict: Fast facts. CNN. Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/11/world/tigray-war-fast-facts/index.html

Ethiopia Insight. (2022, August 14). Students’ learning in Tigray is being crippled by the war. Ethiopia Insight. Retrieved from: https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2022/08/14/students-learning-in-tigray-is-being-crippled-by-the-war/

Human Rights Watch. (2021, May 28). Ethiopia: Tigray schools occupied, looted. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from:  https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/05/28/ethiopia-tigray-schools-occupied-looted

Humanium. (2022, August 9). Ethnic cleansing and grave violations of children’s rights in Ethiopia’s Western Tigray region. Humanium. Retrieved from: https://www.humanium.org/en/ethnic-cleansing-and-grave-violations-of-childrens-rights-in-ethiopias-western-tigray-region/

Link Education. (2022, January 6). Impact of the Northern Ethiopian War on education. Link Education. Retrieved from: https://linkeducation.org.uk/impact-of-the-northern-ethiopian-war-on-education/

NPR. (2021, March 5). 9 things to know about the unfolding crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. NPR. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2021/03/05/973624991/9-things-to-know-about-the-unfolding-crisis-in-ethiopias-tigray-region

[1] UN OCHA REPORT (https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/ethiopia/card/5TCJFYzqI4/)

Educational Challenges in Yemen: How the Conflict Puts Education at Risk?

Written by Müge Çınar

What has been happening in Yemen since 2015?

Yemen has ancient roots at the Middle East, Asia, and Africa crossroads, and the Republic of Yemen is a relatively new established state. It was created in 1990 following the unification of communist South Yemen with North Yemen. 

The wave of protests in Yemen in 2011 was affected by the Arab Spring, Yemen has been suffering civil wars, jihadist violence, tribalism, and extreme poverty since then.

Furthermore, the suffering brought on by the current war since 2015 between a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, a Shia militia supported by Iran (World Bank, 2019). The Saudi-led coalition was provided logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK, and France. According to the UN, both sides in the war have committed war crimes. However, both sides refused the allegations (World Bank, 2023).

Long before the current crisis began, the politicization of education in Yemen was an issue. To begin with, neither a license nor any type of supervision was required for religious schools, which predate government-run public schools and higher education institutions (Nagi, 2021). Yet, the conflict exacerbated the collapse of education in the country which was already weak in its educational system.

In general, the North and the South each have their independent educational system (Taher et al., 2022). Each of the parties engaged prioritizes military development while ignoring every aspect of progress, such as education. To serve their own ideological and political objectives, each of these systems is making considerable changes to education, yet the quality of education is declining in both places. Children are unable to attend schools due to conflict, displacement, the spreading of diseases, lack of infrastructure, and gender discrimination.

A group of children, displaced by fighting in the Yemeni city of Hodediah, participate in catch-up classes in the Rabat camp near the Yemeni city of Aden. Photo by Peter Biro

Conflict-related Education Difficulties

Attacks against schoolchildren, teachers, and educational infrastructure, since the conflict started, have affected the educational system and millions of children’s access to learning opportunities. Yemen is experiencing a serious education crisis, which will have devastating long-term effects on children (Education in Yemen,  UNICEF, 2023).

Around 11 million Yemeni children require humanitarian aid, and more than 2.4 million school-age boys and girls are not attending school (UNICEF, 2023). Many families are unable to bring their children to school because of the cost of food and other school-related expenses (Battling Hunger and Ensuring Yemeni Children Can Get Back to School, 2023).

According to UNICEF statistics, more than two million children are not enrolled in school, and many millions require assistance to enrol, and more than 20% of all primary and secondary schools are closed (ICRC, 2022). Students and teachers have been killed or injured on their way to school. Numerous families are no longer sending their children to school, especially girls, due to the danger and financial effects of the conflict. The psychological effects of violence mitigate the educational performance of the children since many children have only ever known life in conflict. 

At least one out of every four educational facilities has been destroyed, damaged, or put to other uses over the past eight years. 58% of these schools are damaged by conflict and 30% are used as quarantine centres or occupied by armed groups (Save the Children International, Save the Children Yemen, 2021).

Under international humanitarian law, war parties are required to take all necessary precautions to safeguard civilians and civilian infrastructure. Long-lasting harm results from violence against students, educators, and institutions of higher learning. It also makes the education system harder to recover after the conflict.

Displacement Problem

Ongoing conflict forces people to move to other areas of the country. Displaced people have had their access to education cut off suddenly because of their displacements. The 1.5 million school-aged internally displaced children, the 870,495 girls and boys with disabilities, and the more than 2 million kids who are not in school are the most at risk (OCHA, 2023). Between September and October 2022, UNHCR and Deem for Development Organization renovated the classrooms at the schools with funding from a Quick Impact Project (QIP) (OCHA, 2023).

International organizations and communities are on a mission to reach children who need health and education assistance in the displaced and hard-to-reach places. OCHA, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA, and others participated in the mission.

Lack of Access to Healthcare and WASH Facilities

Many people in Yemen also lack access to healthcare and nutrition services. 540,000 children live in a condition with acute malnutrition and insufficient health services. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) need for children are more common in the areas of new displacement and rural areas. Shelter and WASH assistance is the most important factor for children to pursue their education. In 2023, more than 8.6 million school-children will need assistance according to UNOCHA (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023).

The result of the war is damage to infrastructure and import disruption of fuel causing 61% of the Yemeni’s lack of access to water and 42% of the population to have not enough sanitation (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023). The sheer amount of time spent delivering water also harms the educational opportunities for children. With no choice but to go to the water points twice a day and carry plastic water containers on their heads, many children have been forced to quit school (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023).

The events to improve access to safe water were officially launched on February 2022 by IOM and YHF (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023). Many kids can go back to school and finish their education, particularly girls. The project also unlocks the ability of the people to engage in agriculture and other livelihood activities.

Spreading Diseases and Urgent Immunization of the Children

“The prolonged crisis and the lack of funding for the HRP threaten food insecurity, which could result in famine, disease outbreaks, and epidemics,” said Na’aem Al Khulaidi, program coordinator for the Tamdeen Youth Foundation (OCHA, Issue 2, 2023). For instance, polio has frighteningly returned to Yemen years after the country was declared free of the deadly illness.

Significant infectious disease outbreaks, including some that could have been prevented by vaccination, such as cholera, diphtheria, dengue, measles, and the reappearance of vaccine-derived polioviruses, were influenced by the conflict. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the health condition even worse.

A new level of complication was introduced for the millions of school children in Yemen with the Covid-19 pandemic. For the millions of boys and girls in Yemen, After many cases of illness were reported in March 2020, schools closed and stayed closed for six months. Although the reopening the schools, many children had not gone back to classes (ECW in Yemen, 2023).

Having suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic, Yemen is dealing with rising cases of poliovirus. 228 children have been paralyzed due to poliovirus in 2021 in Yemen. In Yemen, there were about 22,000 cases of measles in 2022, with 161 casualties. There have been 9,418 cases reported in 2023, and 77 children have died (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023).

Low immunization rates of vaccine-preventable diseases among children are a very dangerous situation for them to attend school. Many children’s families are not able to afford hospitalization costs (OCHA, Issue 3, 2023). While there have been numerous polio and measles vaccination campaigns over the past two years in the southern regions, children in the northern regions are particularly in danger due to the ongoing deadlock over additional immunization efforts there (OCHA, Issue 3, 2023).

A group of children, displaced by fighting in the Yemeni city of Hodediah. Photo by Peter Biro

Gender Inequality

The patriarchally-oriented cultural and religious institutions continue to be the principal opponent of female education. The government and international organizations strive to alter the mindset of the current families to forbid their daughters from pursuing education by launching various campaigns in rural areas, reinforcing the social norms that they have built (Ballout, 2023). Nevertheless, dropouts of the school-girls are at risk of child marriage, while boys are recruited by armed groups.

The most affected gender by the displacement is females. Bureaucratic obstacles prohibit women to travel without a company of a close family member. This has created a great impact on women to access and pursue education (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023). The increase in mahram requirements and mostly AA-controlled areas worsened the gender gap in education, resulting in a wide gender gap in literacy and basic education.

The country’s economic struggle plays a part in gender inequality too. Getting a very minimum income affects Yemeni households’ purchasing power. Weak economical conditions affect women’s conditions and children’s education.  It will have a domino effect and raise the danger of gender-based violence and other abuses among women and girls. Children will have less access to school and more cases of family dissolution, child labour, child marriage, and child trafficking (OCHA, 2022).

Insufficient Incentives to the Teachers

Yemen’s education system is in danger of collapsing, which will have an impact on both school-age males and females. The conflict that has lasted for years, the economy’s downfall, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all restricted access to schooling. Structured learning is still impacted by the insufficient payment of teachers’ salaries.

Since 2016, the majority of teachers in governorates (or 61% of the teaching staff) have received poor allowances. When teachers are paid, the amounts are little and paid slowly, which disincentivizes them for work and forces them to look for side jobs to support their income (Education in Yemen, 2023). Also, most teachers lead to quitting their jobs which risks nearly four million children losing access to education (Nagi, 2021). Every year, a number of teachers and students flee from the country, and a large portion of these individuals are the most qualified ones.

Another important problem is that there are not sufficient teacher training programs, causing qualified teachers to remain very less. The gender gap between the teachers is also very wide. Teachers are mainly male with 80%, which creates a lack of female teachers.

Teachers as well as students have suffered from this constant struggle and even exploited it against one another. Teachers and students were recruited to collaborate with the tribes that were engaged in this conflict. Peace and education are being replaced by conflict and political beliefs that serve the interests of parties and tribes. The students quit school and decide to ally themselves with the tribes that will pay for their families basic needs. This includes teachers who have gone for years without receiving payment (Taher et al., 2022).

References

Ballout, A. (2023). Female Education in Yemen. Available at SSRN 4318578.

Battling Hunger and Ensuring Yemeni Children Can Get Back to School. (2023, February 1). World Bank. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2023/02/01/battling-hunger-and-ensuring-yemeni-children-can-get-back-to-school

ECW in Yemen. (n.d.). Education Cannot Wait. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.educationcannotwait.org/our-investments/where-we-work/yemen

Education in Yemen. (n.d.). UNICEF. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.unicef.org/yemen/education

8 years of crushing conflict in Yemen. (2023, March 24). UNICEF. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/8-years-crushing-conflict-yemen-leave-more-11-million-children-need-humanitarian

How and why to end the war in Yemen. (2019, May 7). Economist. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.economist.com/leaders/2017/11/30/how-and-why-to-end-the-war-in-yemen?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=18151738051&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gclid=CjwKCAjwge2iBh

ICRC. (2022, October 13). Yemen: Conflict leaves millions of children without proper education. In News and Press Release. https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-conflict-leaves-millions-children-without-proper-education-enar

Nagi, A. (2021). Education in Yemen: Turning Pens into Bullets.

OCHA. (2022, April 30). Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan 2022. https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-response-plan-2022-april-2022

OCHA. (2023, January). Report: Yemen Humanitarian Update. (Issue 1). https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-update-issue-1-january-2023-enar

OCHA. (2023, February). Yemen Humanitarian Update. (Issue 2). https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-update-issue-2-february-2023-enar

OCHA. (2023, March). Yemen Humanitarian Update. (Issue 3).

Save the Children International, Save the Children Yemen. (2021, June). Report: Education in Crisis in Yemen.

Taher, A., Khan, Z., Alduais, A., & Muthanna, A. (2022). Intertribal conflict, educational development and education crisis in Yemen: A call for saving education. Review of Education, 10(3)(e3376).

Yemen: Why is the war there getting more violent? (2023, April 14). BBC. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423

Featured image: Yemeni children play in the rubble of buildings destroyed in an air raid, Photo by Biro

Challenges facing the Education system in Mali

Written by Ruth Lakica

 

Introduction

Education is a fundamental right for all humans around the globe. Regardless of one’s economic or social status, they should be able to have access to Education. Even though this seems obvious and like common knowledge, it is not the reality for many Malians. Nevertheless, the government has and is making significant efforts to cab illiteracy.  For instance, the government split primary education into two cycles which allowed Malian students to take examinations to gain admission to secondary, tertiary, or higher education.  However, Mali has still been facing a security crisis for several years now, which has severely compromised access to education for thousands of school-age children, particularly in the north.

Threats against schools and destruction of school infrastructure and equipment led to a shortage of teachers in affected areas and a breakdown in the pedagogical support system due to massive population displacements[i].

 

School children in a classroom in Gao, Mali – Photo by UN/Marco Dormino

Conflicts and insecurity

The country is increasingly recording serious human rights and international humanitarian law violations. Violent attacks by armed groups now affect civilians throughout most of the country.

Threats from armed groups remain the main factor behind the closure of 1,700 schools in Mali today[ii]. Over the past two years, the country has been among the three African countries whose schools are most attacked, along with Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).

In addition to insecurity, emergency education in conflict zones is severely underfunded. Since the beginning of the year 2022, 1 in 10 schools in Mali has remained closed due to a lack of infrastructure and school equipment. Mali’s national budget cannot cover the needs and education is one of the least funded sectors in the humanitarian response, accounting for only 2 percent of funds received in 2022.

For schools in conflict areas that are struggling to stay open, having funding to build and rehabilitate school infrastructure is vital. According to the Norwegian Refugee council article about the insecurity in Mali, “In some schools in the region, a single classroom can often accommodate up to 300 children due to a lack of infrastructure,” said Ibrahim Ag Bijangoum, Acting Director of the Ménaka Education Academy. It is impossible for school-going pupils and students to have a taste for learning in such a condition.

Household poverty

Access to and completion of schooling is inequitable, with girls and children from the poorest families at highest risk of school dropout: According to UNICEF in 2020, only 73.8 percent of girls are enrolled in primary basic education, compared with 85.8 percent of boys. By the time they reach secondary education, the proportion of girls enrolled is only 15 percent, compared with 21 percent of boys.[iii]

Among children that do attend school in Mali, the absence of qualified teachers, textbooks, and low-quality school environments all adversely affect learning outcomes: most students in fifth grade in Mali are not able to master basic mathematics and reading skills.

A classroom full of students engage in class and look toward the teacher while seated at their desks
Credit: GPE/Michelle Mesen

Impact of Covid-19

The school closures and the loss of household income, particularly in rural areas, restricted access to education for school-aged children. Many students abandoned school permanently due to their parent’s loss of income. Girls did not reintegrate back into schools and were exposed to early marriage and pregnancies. According to the world bank, in Bamako August 2021, a senior poverty economist at the World Bank and co-author of the report, who adds that school-aged children today are likely to experience lower lifetime income due to the pandemic[iv].

Water, sanitation, and hygiene

Access to safe and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene protects children against common water-borne diseases such as diarrhea and reduces stunting, which affects more than 26% of children in Mali.

According to UNICEF in 2015, in Mali, only about one-half of schools have an improved water point, and less than 20% of schools have functional, separate toilets for boys and girls. In addition, more than one million people in Mali still practice open defecation, which has a direct impact on the health and safety of communities. While 80% of Mali’s population now has access to improved sources of drinking water, this number drops significantly in rural areas, where it is only 70%[v]. Displacement in conflict-affected areas of Mali has further limited the access of families on the move to clean water and sanitation.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite the challenges facing the education system in Mali, the government of Mali and other organizations have been working hard to improve education. UNICEF in Mali and other partners have been working in communities, schools, and health centers to improve access to clean water, hygiene, and sanitation in all areas of children’s lives.

According to European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the EU has provided more than €472 million in humanitarian aid in Mali since the beginning of the crisis in 2012. It is currently a leading donor of assistance in the country[vi].

[i]Global Partnership for Education. (2021). Education in Mali. Retrieved from: https://www.globalpartnership.org/where-we-work/mali.

[ii]Norwegiann Refugee Council. (2022). Mali: Insecurity and lack of funding force over half a million children out of school.  Retrieved from: https://www.nrc.no/news/2022/june/mali-insecurity-and-lack-of-funding-force-over-half-a-million-children-out-of-school/[iii] UNICEF (2020). Harnessing children’s potential through quality education for every child. Retrieved from:https://www.unicef.org/mali/en/education

[iii] UNICEF (2020). Harnessing children’s potential through quality education for every child. Retrieved from:https://www.unicef.org/mali/en/education

[iv]The World Bank. (2021). Mali: Understand COVID-19’s impacts for better actions. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/08/11/mali-understand-covid-19-s-impacts-for-better-actions

[v]UNICEF. (2023) Water, sanitation, and hygiene: Improving children’s lives through clean water and clean environments. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/mali/en/water-sanitation-and-hygiene

[vi]European Commission. (2023). European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations: Mali. Retrieved from: https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/africa/mali_en

Educational Challenges in Central African Republic

Written by Emmanuel Ayoola

Image Copyright: © Pierre Holtz/UNICEF

Background

Central African Republic, a country landlocked in the heart of Africa is one of the poorest countries in the world. It struggles with a history of conflict, instability, and displacement which poses grave challenges to the peaceful development of the nation. The country faces serious educational challenges. Often described as one of the toughest places to live in the world as a child, the country suffers from an earnest problem of lack of access to quality and safe education and this is not unconnected to the conflict and instability that has plagued the country over the years. Two-thirds of the children in the country either do not attend school regularly or at all. [i]

The practical realities of these challenges are damning and they take significant tolls on education in the country. The next section of this article will examine some of the challenges militating against access to quality education in the country.

Challenges to Education

There are several challenges to educational advancement in the Central African Republic. These issues range from incessant conflicts to, lack of access to education, poor quality of education, gender exclusion, poverty, and a lack of political will to deal with the education crisis.

  1. Conflicts and Instability: Serious conflict and instability have ravaged the Central African Republic for several years and this has negatively affected the education system. These conflicts have left in their trail, carnage and destruction. The education system has taken a major hit as well. Lots of schools have been destroyed and a lot of others, taken over and converted to bases by armed groups. In the wake of all these, several teachers have fled the country.

Image Copyright: © Jerome Delay/AP

The impact of these conflicts has been very significant on the educational system in the country and has led to the closure of several public schools. The lack of the needed human resource and materials to run the schools, coupled with the deplorable condition of the host communities has made the availability of quality education in the country a mirage.  As a result of this, there has been a significant spike in the establishment of private schools. While this is a welcome development, it however does very little in solving the problem of access to quality education as the quality of the education remains a challenge coupled with lack of access due to the inability to pay for education, largely because of poverty.

  1. Lack of Access: This is one of the major challenges affecting education in the Central African Republic. There is widespread limited access to education in the country with a lot of children lacking access to primary and secondary education even though by law, education is free and compulsory for children up to 15 years. According to the World Bank, about 30% of children in the country did not attend primary school while an estimated 22% did not attend secondary school.[ii] Children in rural areas are particularly faced with the disadvantage of lack of access due to social problems such as a dearth of infrastructure, inadequate funding, and insecurity.
  2. Poor Quality: A poor quality of education is also a challenge the country grapples with. Even for those who are able to attend school, they are faced with the challenge of the poor quality of education offered. The teachers are often underpaid and lack the necessary training. Also, there are no support programs to help teachers and students from conflict situations properly reintegrate into the schools.
  3. Gender Exclusion and Social Inequalities: Girls in the Central African Republic are disadvantaged when it comes to education. They have a lower enrollment rate and a higher dropout rate compared to boys. Negative cultural sentiments towards girls’ education contribute to this as well. Girls are forced into early marriages and early pregnancy and domestic violence. All these contribute to a high rate of girls’ exclusion from education. Education indicators reveal that the expected length of schooling for boys is 5.3 years as compared to 3.8 years for girls. Fewer girls have access to secondary education as compared to boys.[iii] While the lot of the boys seem to be fairer, they are however not completely exempt from socio-cultural sentiments that preclude access to education. Boys are also faced with the risk of becoming child soldiers. This is a threat to their access to education.[iv]
  4. Poverty: Due to poverty, many families are unable to send their children to school. Although education is said to be free in the country for children up till they are 15 years of age, there are usually still related costs, such as; the cost of textbooks and uniforms. These costs force a lot of children out of school and they are compelled to start working to support their families.
  5. Lack of Political Will and Inadequate Government Support: The government of the country is not making adequate investments in the education sector of the country. This is in spite of its Education Sector Plan[v]for 2020-2029 which shows a strong political will to address the educational challenges in the country by highlighting four key points:
  • Access to education and equity
  • Recruitment and training of teachers
  • Quality of learning
  • Governance and education spending.

However, a lot has not been achieved despite these lofty goals. The bureaucratic administration of the education sector is also a factor that has not been addressed yet by the government. Education in the country is administered by four different ministries:

  • The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MEPS)
  • The Ministry of Technical Education and Literacy (META)
  • The Ministry of Higher Education (MES)
  • The Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation (MRSIT).

This, to say the least, makes coordination of the education sector difficult and cumbersome. Also, the government has been lacking in the level of support it provides for the enrolment of children in schools.

An example to illustrate this failure is the case of the indigenous Ba’aka children, only a few of these children attend primary school. The United States Department of State in its findings identified that there was no significant support from the government in increasing the enrolment of Ba’aka children in schools. More also, this lack of support has resulted in children and girls of the Central African Republic having limited access to education.[vi]

Conclusion

In addressing these challenges, the government of the Central African Republic must prioritize investment in the educational sector, especially in rural areas and disadvantaged communities. More support and training should be provided to the teachers and overall, better infrastructure must be developed for schools, including the provision of textbooks and materials that will improve the quality of education. Furthermore, investments must be in sensitizing communities against sociocultural biases and sentiments that could preclude boys and girls from having access to education. Conclusively, the government must keep the schools safe and free from all forms of violence.

 

[i] Crisis in Central African Republic | UNICEF

[ii] Children of Central African Republic – Humanium

[iii] Central African Republic Overview: Development news, research, data | World Bank

[iv] https://www.educationcannotwait.org/our-investments/where-we-work/central-african-republic#:~:text=Conflict%2C%20displacement%20and%20instability%20are,to%20quality%20and%20safe%20education.

[v] Plan Sectoriel de l’Education. République Centrafricaine. 2020-2029 | Documents | Partenariat mondial pour l’éducation (globalpartnership.org)

[vi] Children of Central African Republic – Humanium

The future of education in light of the political crises in Sudan

Written by Hiyam Mukhtar

Some schools and universities were directly affected by the shelling with heavy weapons. On April 18, 2023, three students were killed as a result of a shell falling near their home in the East Nile region. Othman Abdel Moneim, 17, is scheduled to sit for secondary school exams on the tenth of next June, according to what the Ministry of Education in Sudan announced, but he put his pamphlets and books aside and began to follow with interest the war that broke out ten days ago. Between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum.

He was stricken with anxiety and fear from the sound of heavy weapons and bullets, which penetrated the ceilings and walls of homes and led to the deaths of a number of his peers. Othman prays to God for the war to end and says that this situation does not augur that the academic calendar will proceed as planned.

Othman’s condition is no different from that of more than 500,000 male and female students who will sit for the Sudanese certificate exams this year. They abandoned their notebooks after they saw on television and various media the fires and corpses lying on the ground, and they fear the same fate, said the spokesman for the Teachers’ Committee, Sami Al-Baqer. for «Middle East»

He added, “The academic year will be affected if the war continues between the army and the Rapid Support Forces for a period after Eid al-Fitr.” “The academic year will be affected because it is the scheduled date for some classes to sit for final exams,” noting that the academic year is scheduled to be 180 days, but it started 50 days late after it was suspended for 30 days due to the teachers’ strike.

Postponing the beginning of academic years is a challenge in Sudan. – Photo by The Independent Arabia

He pointed to efforts to compensate for the 80 days that were lost by increasing school hours during the day and making Saturday a school day and not a holiday, in addition to extending the school year for an additional 15 days, and he said: “If the war continues between the two parties, treatment becomes impossible, so the year becomes The study is not internationally accredited.

He pointed to efforts to compensate for the 80 days that were lost by increasing school hours during the day and making Saturday a school day and not a holiday, in addition to extending the school year for an additional 15 days, and he said: “If the war continues between the two parties, treatment becomes impossible, so the year becomes The study is not internationally accredited.

However, the director of secondary education at the Ministry of Education, Abd al-Karim Hassan, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the school year will not be affected by the war between the two parties to the conflict because the calendar has been amended so that secondary school exams will be held on the tenth of next June. However, he did not specify an exact number of students who will sit for the exams because the ministry has not finished counting them. He continued, “Last year, about 500,000 male and female students sat, and usually the number of those sitting is more than the year before,” noting that first- and second-year secondary students will sit for final exams on May 13, pointing to the difficulty of listing the schools that have been affected. war at this time.

The Director of the General Administration of Education for the Basic Stage in Khartoum State, Mohamed Hamdoun Al-Bashir, said that the academic calendar has ended, and the basic education exam, which includes the primary and intermediate stages, remains and is scheduled to start on the fifth of next month, and the primary certificate exams on the 22nd of the same month. Al-Bashir added, “Before the war broke out between the conflicting parties, the Department of Measurement and Educational Evaluation in the Ministry was carrying out the final procedures for entering the data of the students examining the primary certificate, but it was stopped due to the current events.”

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicates that more than 7 million children need regular education, in addition to the need of more than 8 million children for humanitarian assistance. Educational expert Ahmed Mustafa told Asharq Al-Awsat that the vision is not yet clear about the fate of the academic year, but if the war continues between the army and RSF, it will inevitably affect the academic year and all the Sudanese people, and he called on the two parties to the conflict to sit down for dialogue.

L’invasione russa in Ucraina: Chi paga il prezzo di questa guerra?

Mahmud Darwish una volta ha disse riguardo alla guerra:

“La guerra finirà. I leader si stringeranno la mano. L’anziana donna continuerà̀ ad aspettare il figlio martire. Quella ragazza aspetterà il suo amato marito. E quei bambini aspetteranno il loro padre eroe. Non so chi abbia venduto la nostra patria, ma ho visto chi ne ha pagato il prezzo”.[1]

Nel corso degli anni, molti Paesi sono stati distrutti dalla guerra e dalla dittatura. Molti di questi erano abbastanza civilizzati prima che la guerra li rovinasse; pieni di cultura, sviluppo e civiltà̀, come Siria, Palestina, Libia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen e molti altri.

L’avidità e l’egoismo di dittatori e politici corrotti hanno causato solo perdite a questi Paesi. Molte vite innocenti sono andate perdute; molti Paesi soffrono la povertà̀ a causa del cattivo governo da parte di regimi oppressivi. Le infrastrutture nazionali sono crollate a causa della guerra e anche l’ambiente ne ha risentito pesantemente.

The Costs of War Project, Watson institute of international and public affairs, Brown University, 2021

L’Ucraina si è ora unita al treno dei Paesi devastati dalla guerra a causa dell’avidità dei dittatori. Vladimir Putin non solo ha invaso uno Stato sovrano confinante, ma il suo regime sta anche esercitando la censura totale all’interno del territorio russo. I media russi indipendenti e i giornalisti che si esprimono contro il regime di Putin e su come i russi stiano soffrendo sotto la sua guida vengono molestati, intimiditi e detenuti illegalmente. Lo stesso trattamento viene riservato ai manifestanti che si oppongono a Putin e ai crimini commessi dal suo regime in Ucraina, come ad esempio costringere i giovani russi ad arruolarsi nelle forze armate senza informarli che parteciperanno all’invasione dell’Ucraina. Quanto descritto illustra bene l’immagine di uno “Stato totalitario”.

Come è stata influenzata l’istruzione?

L’impatto della guerra è chiaramente visibile nel settore dell’istruzione, in quanto l’accesso a quest’ultima sarà limitato a causa della scarsità di materiale didattico, dalla ristrettezza delle risorse economiche, fattore determinante nelle problematiche legate all’istruzione, e la propaganda diffusa dai dittatori per giustificare l’invasione o i crimini commessi dagli stessi contro i propri cittadini.

Molte strutture educative, come scuole e asili, sono state distrutte e danneggiate a causa della guerra in corso, la quale che minaccia il futuro dei bambini nel Pease, lasciandoli privi di accesso ad un sistema educativo.[2]

L’UNICEF ha recentemente pubblicato un rapporto sull’impatto dell’invasione russa sull’Ucraina. Secondo il rapporto, l’invasione ha lasciato più di 350.000 bambini senza accesso all’istruzione, a causa del danneggiamento di numerose infrastrutture scolastiche, mentre le metodologie di insegnamento insufficienti limitano l’accesso all’istruzione, lasciando i bambini senza accesso a un riparo sicuro, all’acqua e all’istruzione.[3]

L’effetto della guerra sui rifugiati ucraini e sugli studenti internazionali in Ucraina:

Molti ucraini hanno cercato rifugio in diversi Paesi dall’inizio della guerra. C’è stata molta preoccupazione per i bambini rifugiati e per il loro inserimento nei sistemi scolastici di altri Paesi, soprattutto a causa di eventuali barriere linguistiche. Le scuole polacche hanno accolto i bambini ucraini rifugiati nelle loro scuole e gli insegnanti polacchi li hanno aiutati a superare le menzionate barriere, adattandosi al sistema scolastico locale.[4]   D’altra parte, i bambini ucraini rifugiati nel Regno Unitosi trovano a dover superare numerosi ostacoli, poiché la maggior parte delle scuole inglesi stanno superando le loro capacità di registrazione. Inoltre, l’insufficienza dei finanziamenti per il settore dell’istruzione mette le scuole sotto pressione e facendo sì che gli studenti rifugiati vengano respinti.[5]

 

Anche gli studenti internazionali che studiavano nelle università ucraine, molti dei quali provengono dall’Africa, dall’Asia meridionale e dal Medio Oriente, sono vittime della guerra in corso. Molti di loro non sono riusciti a completare gli studi e sono stati costretti a fuggire in altri Paesi nella speranza di poter tornare presto in Ucraina e completare il corso di studi.[6] Molti di questi studenti stranieri hanno effettivamente lottato per trovare rifugio o per fuggire e, cosa più terribile, almeno due studenti in visita sono stati uccisi nei primi giorni di guerra.[7]

 

L’effetto della guerra sugli Stati post-sovietici e sulla Russia:

Dopo l’invasione dell’Ucraina da parte della Russia, i cittadini degli Stati post-sovietici temono che il controllo di Putin si estenda sui loro Paesi , ancor più la firma di un accordo di alleanza fra il presidente russo e quello azero Ilham Aliyev. L’accordo in 43 punti include un’alleanza economica ed educativa che aumenterà il controllo del regime di Putin in Azerbaigian .[8][9] Per esempio, lo studio della lingua russa diventerà obbligatorio negli istituti scolastici, più di quanto non lo fosse in precedenza negli Stati post-sovietici.[10]

Ultimamente, il Ministero dell’Istruzione russo ha iniziato a diffondere la propaganda nell’istruzione online, nel tentativo di influenzare i bambini con ideologie che glorificano la leadership di Putin e giustificano l’invasione russa dell’Ucraina . Queste lezioni online cercano di spiegare “perché la missione di liberazione in Ucraina era necessaria”.[11]C’è il rischio che queste lezioni contribuiscano a creare una generazione che incoraggia la guerra e sostiene la dittatura in Russia.

Certamente, arriverà un giorno in cui la guerra finirà, e gli sfollati torneranno nelle patrie dove hanno lasciato i loro cari per cercare rifugio in altre terre. I leader si stringeranno la mano per stabilire la pace nel mondo, ma a quale costo questo avverrà, quando tanti danni sono già stati fatti? Come dice Mahmoud Darwish “Non so chi ha venduto la nostra patria, ma ho visto chi ne ha pagato il prezzo”.

 

 

Di Zinat Asadova

[1] “La guerra finirà” Poesia di Mahmud Darwish

[2] Save the Children. (2022). Ucraina: Gli attacchi alle scuole mettono in pericolo la vita e il futuro dei bambini. Recuperato da https://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-attacks-schools-endangering-children-s-lives-and- futures

[3] Regione Europa e Asia Centrale (ECAR) dell’UNICEF. (2022). Rapporto sulla situazione in Ucraina – 24 febbraio 2022 (p. 2). Recuperato da https://www.unicef.org/media/116031/file/Ukraine-Humanitarian-SitRep-24-February-2022.pdf

[4] Deutsche Welle (DW). (2022). La Polonia lotta per dare ai bambini ucraini accesso all’istruzione [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/poland-fights-to-give-ukrainian-kids-access-to-education/av- 61185207#:~:text=Circa%202%20milioni%20di%20Ucraini%20hanno,il%20sistema%20educativo%20della%20Polonia%20è%20 enorme.

[5] Abrams, F. (2022). I rifugiati ucraini potrebbero faticare a trovare posto nelle scuole inglesi, dicono i consigli. The Guardian. Recuperato da https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/mar/05/ukraine-refugees-may-struggle-to-find-places-in- english-schools-councils-say

[6] Fallon, K. (2022). Gli studenti stranieri in fuga dalla guerra russa contro l’Ucraina sperano di tornare. Aljazeera.com. Recuperato da https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/5/they-told-us-to-go-home-student-recounts-ukraine-war

[7] La risposta dell’istruzione internazionale alla guerra in Ucraina. Monitor ICEF – Informazioni di mercato per il reclutamento internazionale di studenti. (2022). Recuperato da https://monitor.icef.com/2022/03/international-educations-continuing- response-to-the-war-in-ukraine/

[8] Azərbaycan Respublikası Xarici İşlər Nazirliyi. (2022). No:056/22, Azərbaycan Respublikası Xarici İşlər Nazirliyinin Mətbuat xidməti idarəsinin məlumatı (AZ/RU). Recuperato da https://www.mfa.gov.az/az/news/no05622

 

[9] Presidente della Repubblica dell’Azerbaigian Ilham Aliyev. (2022). Dichiarazione sull’interazione tra la Repubblica dell’Azerbaigian e la Federazione Russa. Recuperato da https://president.az/en/articles/view/55498

[10] Aliyeva, J. (2022). Il presidente dell’Azerbaigian sottolinea l’importanza della lingua russa. Agenzia di stampa Report. Recuperato da https://report.az/en/foreign-politics/azerbaijani-president-notes-importance-of-russian-language/

[11] Pagina ufficiale del Ministero dell’Istruzione russo su Vkontakte. (2022). Una lezione aperta “I difensori della pace” (Открытый урок “Защитники мира”) [Video]. https://vk.com/video-30558759_456242419?list=8411aa6de207bc39a2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges within the education system in Burkina Faso

Written by Ruth Lakica

Introduction 

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in west Africa. The country occupies an extensive plateau, and its geography is characterized by a savanna that is grassy in the north and gradually gives way to sparse forests in the south. A former French colony, it gained independence as Upper Volta in 1960. The name Burkina Faso, which means “Land of Incorruptible People,” was adopted in 1984.

Schoolchildren in Burkina Faso – Photo by Anadolu Agency.

Characteristics of Education in Burkina Faso

School enrollment is one of the lowest in Africa, even though the government devotes a large portion of the national budget to education. French is the language of instruction in primary and secondary education.

Education in Burkina Faso has a very similar structure to the rest of the world, primary schools, secondary schools, and higher education. The academic year in Burkina Faso runs from October to July. The Education Act enacted that schooling is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 15 but unfortunately this is not always enforced. The education system is based on the French model and teaching language in all Burkina Faso schools is French. According to the World Bank, it is notable that approximately 56% of youth have no formal education, and 16% of youth have attained at most incomplete primary education, meaning that in total 72% meaning that in total 15-24 years old have not completed primary education in Burkina Faso.

The effect of Covid-19 on Education

Like every country worldwide, the education system in Burkina Faso was also affected by Covid-19. All schools in Burkina Faso were closed for nine weeks from march 2020. After this time schools in some areas reopened, with all schooling resuming after 14 weeks (UNESCO, 2020). School closure affected more than 20,000 educational establishments, and disrupted the education of over 4.7 million learners.

The impact of Covid-19 forced the closure of schools across the country, putting the most marginalized children at risk of losing out on learning and not returning to the classroom.

Broken chalk congratulates Burkina Faso for adopting remote studying undertaken during school closures with learning materials provided via television, radio and internet for primary and secondary school (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, UNICEF & World Bank, 2020). However, 84% of students lack internet access, 81% lack digital devices, and 81% had difficulty distributing hard copies of learning materials. These disadvantaged students that are unable to access remote studies fell behind with others dropping out.

Another barrier to remote education is access to technology. The MILO (Monitoring Impacts on Learning Outcomes) project indicates that the support many schools most need relates to accessing technology, rather than human capital.

Armed groups attack on teachers, students, and schools in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso’s education system is facing recurrent and growing attacks by armed groups. Schools have been attacked, teachers assaulted and killed, and educational resources destroyed. At one point, all schools were closed, disrupting the school calendar. Students and staff were sent home.

Burkina Faso is facing an education crisis, with severe deterioration in access to education due to armed violence over the past few years. Education indicators have been declining since 2018, with the gross enrolment rate at the primary level falling from 90.7% to 86.1% and the post-primary level from 52% to 47.3%, a loss of 5 points in three years. For example, in the Sahel region, which has been partially affected by insecurity, the gross enrolment rate at the primary level has fallen from 53.4% in 2018 to 20.3% in 2021. Thus, only one in four children were attending school in the Sahel region in 2021.

The attacks by armed groups have led to the closures of many schools in Burkina Faso. As of 31 May 2022, more than 4,000 schools were closed due to insecurity, representing 17% of schools nationwide, interrupting the education of more than 700,000 children. An estimated 2.6 million children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 are out of school, representing more than half of all school-aged children (51.4%).

School closures increase with safety threats from armed groups – Photo by UNICEF

Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene

54% of the population of Burkina Faso has access to improved drinking water sources while only 23% has access to improved sanitation facilities. Regarding water and sanitation facilities in schools, Burkina Faso faces challenges. 14 years old Pauline W. Somlare grade 6 at Mouni primary school located 13 km from Niou in the plateau central region. Open since October 1979, it was only in 2001 that the school got its first water pump. Despite the water installation, not everything is going as it should. A few weeks ago, the school was again facing a crucial water problem leading to thirst, lack of hygiene, late lessons, and the often-served late lunch. The latest failure in 2019 could be repaired. In December 2019, thanks to UNICEF intervention following a request from the ministry in charge of education, the water pump was rehabilitated in Jan 2020.

Quality of Education

Despite the quality management of Burkinabe education system and its numerous educational strategy: The Orientation Law, the Basic Education Sector Development Plan, the Education Sector Plan, the Integrated Strategy for the Strengthening of Pedagogical Management, the Integrated Strategy for the Continuous Training of Teachers and Pedagogical Managers, or its Quality Reference Framework for Basic Education. Burkina Faso is still not quite “top of the class”.  Defining strategies isn’t enough to guarantee success.

The scarcity of financial resources is a fact, accentuated by the transfer of competencies from the State to local authorities. And, if financial resources are lacking, the diagnosis also highlights that human resources are also limited. In a system that tends to move towards greater decentralization and which entrusts a great deal of responsibility to the actors closest to the ground, their support for these new responsibilities (particularly administrative and financial) is not always equal to the challenges.

Resources that do not always match the needs. With little training and support, teachers at the concentrated areas seem to have difficulty entirely playing their role. Often burdened by a heavy administrative workload, they have difficulty keeping up with the pace and thus slow down actions to improve quality teaching.

Negative Consequences for Students, Teachers, Society.

Attacks on schools and class disruptions have reduced the quality of education students receive and put many students behind in their studies. According to Human Rights Watch, one student said that she had failed her final exam after an attack forced her school to close for weeks, leaving her unable to prepare. Another said, “It makes me unhappy, to not be able to finish, to have to retake classes, to not even have any documents to show you took the class.

Lack of psychosocial and material support to victims of attacks from the armed group of men

Human Rights Watch identified the lack of consistent and timely support for victims of education-related attacks as another major issue. Numerous teachers who were attacked or threatened said they had never received any psychosocial support from the government. Others said the support they had received was perfunctory and woefully inadequate, without any longer-term follow-up. Many still struggled with emotional or psychological issues. Teachers said they felt abandoned and undervalued, and expected to restart work following redeployments despite the lack of the required psychosocial, financial, or material support.

Conclusion

Despite the challenges facing the education system in Burkina Faso, the government of Burkina Faso and other non-governmental organizations are trying to improve education in Burkina Faso. Nearly one million students do no longer have access to education. As a response, UNICEF, the Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Promotion of National Languages (MENA), and its partners, such as King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) have developed the Radio Education Programme in 2018. This programme is ensuring continuity of learning for affected children, who fled their homes because of the attacks on their schools.

                                                

References

Hadrien, B. (2022, October 20). Back-to-school campaign: More than 56,000 Kits distributed to children-UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/burkinafaso/en/node/1176

Claude, T. (2021, February 10). Tackling schools’ access to safe water challenges-UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/burkinafaso/en/stories/tackling-schools-access-safe-water-challenges-case-Mouni-primary-school

Quality of education in Burkina Faso: Limited policy impact due to poor Understanding of the problems on the ground. UNESCO. (2022, September 9). https://dakar.iiep.unesco.org/en/news/quality-education-burkina-faso-limited-policy-impact-due-Poor-understanding-problems-ground

Lauren, S. (2022, June). Education under attack 2022. https://eua2022.protectingeducation.org/

Jean, F. (2021, July 14). Covid-19 accelerating education Inequality in Burkina Faso. https://ideas4development.org/en/covid-19-accelerating-education-inequalities-in-burkina-faso/

Nick, R and Boubacar, B. ( 2022, November 21). Burkina Faso schoolchildren pay double price in ongoing conflict. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/11/21/burkina-faso-schoolchildren-pay-double-price-in-Ongoing-conflict

Myron, E. (2022, December 16). Burkina Faso. https://www.hrw.org/africa/burkina-faso

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