Education in Post-Conflict Zones

22 September, 2005Patrick Fine, DAA/AFR

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Classrooms before reconstruction.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Classrooms after reconstruction.

Mozambique

Students in a school built by USAID after the war.

Afghanistan

Girls in a new school.

Afghanistan

Building a new school in Herat.

AfghanistanStudents at the newly built Ramack High School.

Afghanistan

A temporary tent classroom in Konduz.

Senegal

Enthusiastic students at Ecole Lyndiane, a school in the capital of the Casamance region.

Senegal

Ecole Lyndiane was overrun by rebels and government soldiers during the war, since there was an army post next door.

Senegal

Since 2001, USAID has assisted Ecole Lyndiane and it is now one of the best schools in the area.

Sierra Leone

Much of Sierra Leone’s education infrastructure was shattered during the war.

Sierra Leone

USAID has been working to rebuild schools in the areas most hard hit.

Sierra Leone

Students and their teacher at a newly reconstructed school in Koindu.

Sierra Leone

A headmaster in front of his new secondary school in Koindu.

Sudan

Schools in southern Sudan are virtually nonexistent.

Sudan

Most students, such as these in the Equatoria region, do not have environments conducive to learning.

Uganda

Large numbers of children in northern Uganda attend school in the camps for internally displaced persons where they live.

Uganda

These students attend school in the Kitgum camp for IDPs.

Uganda

Class size is often extremely high.

Uganda

Most of the children live in fear of being abducted by rebel groups.

I. Immediate Needs – Focus on Restoring Order– Re-establish order/routine in a community– Provide care for younger children/control older children– Provide food through school feeding– Extend the reach of the government

Characteristics:– Externally financed/organized– Can have important symbolic and political effect due to high visibility– More to do with restoring order than educating kids– Uses emergency structures

• Tents/schools under trees• May have limited connection to formal system• Donors fairly coordinated

II. Reconstruction Phase – Focus on Access• Build/reconstruct schools• Distribution of simple learning materials

– use or slightly modified textbooks

• Use of unqualified teachers to staff schools• Use of alternative approaches

– Radio instruction and teacher training

– NFE/community based schooling

– Literacy classes

Characteristics:– Mostly externally financed– Combination of external and local leadership/organization– Uses existing institutional structures– Less donor coordination as scope of interventions grows

III. Capacity Building Phase – Focus shifts to Quality• Institutional Issues Begin to Supplant Access

– Effectiveness/mngt. of Ministry of Education

– Training for teachers/Ministry staff

• Concern with Whether kids in school are learning– Curriculum issues come into focus

» New content in texts – (what texts says becomes more important than simply having texts)

» promotion of democracy, human rights, women’s rights, tolerance, etc.

– Relevence of what is taught economic life

» Vocational skills

Characteristics:– Mostly externally financed, increasing local leadership– Increased formalization

IV. Some Issues– What standards for buildings, textbooks, teacher qualifications, etc.

should be adopted? How should these be set?

– At what point should local sustainability become a central issue? How can sustainability be balanced against the need for immediate response?

– How can local leadership be balanced with lack of skills/capacity and need for extensive planning, procurements, organization, and supervision?

– How can national planners/implementers ensure community participation/ownership?