The annual UNESCO EFA global monitoring report takes a systematic approach to the Dakar framework and monitors the implementation of the goals around the globe. In 2011 the report theme was armed conflict and education, and a whole section was devoted to research and writing on it. At the end of this long (over 200 pages) document 4 failures at the core of dealing with education and conflict are identified. These failures are
Strengthening protection,
Providing education to children caught up in conflict,
Bridging the humanitarian development divide - early recovery and reconstruction, and
Making education a force for peace.
In terms of policy making these failures are quite ambiguous and no emphasis is given to gender equality. In addition some of the failures are more relevant to education in conflict situations which should be distinguished from post conflict and the reconstruction responses. Below is an attempt to integrate themes from the different reports, documents and international standards, some of which are described in earlier parts of this thesis. Integrating these themes along with the capabilities approach can provide a basis for developing more comprehensive and contextual yet clear and concise policy recommendations for education equality in post conflict countries.
1. Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Refugee and IDP female youth
are an even more vulnerable population that has often suffered gender based violence during conflict and has to be taken into consideration when the education system is reconstructed or rebuilt. When formulating an educational policy, policy makers need to take into
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consideration the specific situation they are dealing with; questions they should raise can be the following – are there regional refugees in the country? Are they in refugee camps or in urban areas? Are there any international organizations working with them in general and on educational issues in particular? Are there IDPs in the country? Do they need to be returned or are they to be resettled where they are? These are all general policy questions but they also influence educational policy making and planning.
2. Youth and Young Adults. The World Bank report stresses how youth in general are
most adversely and profoundly affected by conflict, and so there must be adequate support for their rehabilitation. This is also interlinked with the importance of rehabilitating child soldiers who sometimes return to their families but often remain as IDPs fearing the return to their community. Young adult life skills are a key point when working with children affected by conflict. These are not children who are going back to complete primary or even secondary school, but neglecting this population can lead to cycles of violence and criminal behaviors. They should be included in the post conflict process so that they can be a positive force of change in the reconstruction era. More specifically female youth can play a crucial part in the post conflict process and again their unique perspective has to be given attention.
3. Infrastructure. Another important issue in post conflict is physically rebuilding
educational institutions, and this is as issue that appears in all relevant documents. It is important to direct some of those resources to early childhood facilities and not only to primary and secondary institutions. Safe educational havens are crucial for young girls in the face of unstable governance conditions. Plans for new educational buildings should be scrutinized and questions should be asked by local politicians. Another issue to be considered is the maintenance of buildings after aid agencies and NGOs raise the initial funds.
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4. Gender Parity and Equality. Post conflict situations require a much broader
perception of gender inequalities and issues in society and particularly in the education system. In many recent conflicts gender based violence was an integral part of the conflict and women and girls need to heal before issues of parity and access to schools can be discussed. This also calls for a more critical look at institutional arrangements and curriculum development, and especially eliminating gender stereotyping. Can aid agencies deliver such a promise? Can they promote gender equality not only in their own projects but also in a way that will continue long after their funding cycle ends?
5. Quality of Teaching Force. The 2005 World Bank report points to a huge problem
countries face when rebuilding an education system – although numerically there are plenty of teachers, the quality of them is usually not sufficient. In addition not only the teachers, but also the administration levels are depleted and qualified individuals are rare enough that they have various more lucrative opportunities. Training of new and existing teachers needs to emphasize gender sensitive issues and curriculum, especially given the gendered nature of violence in conflicts.
As seen from this analysis policy makers in post conflict countries face serious questions and decisions. It is important for policy makers to be aware of the full context of national education policy; it is caught between pressures and knowledge in the grassroots and community level and pressure and standards on the international level (such as MDGs, Dakar and other instruments as well international testing like PISA30, etc.). Post conflict situations require a broad perception of gender inequalities and issues in society and particularly in the education system. Education policy also needs to be put in the context of political reform and
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Programme for International Student Assessment:
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other negotiated agreements that end violence and war. A combined use of the capabilities approach and this a particular education in post conflict framework present a comprehensive framework for developing relevant education policies in general and gender equality in particular.