Nearly a decade ago, I worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with children in local primary schools to create ‘back to school’ messages to be aired on the radio. We asked, “Why do you want to go back to school?”  I remember the children’s answers like it was yesterday.  They were honest and inspiring:
“So I can learn and one day be president!”
“Because I miss my friends!”
“To contribute to the future of Congo!”

Localized, armed violence throughout North Kivu in the DRC forced schools to close their doors.Every day those doors were closed, the risk that some students and teachers would never return to the classroom increased. We knew that, when children weren’t in school, they were also at higher risk of violence, recruitment, and child labor.

We also knew that families, and especially children, ranked education as a top priority, despite their many other needs. However, we were struggling to raise the funds needed to help schools re-open and stay open.

Conflict keeps children from school

That was in 2008 and yet today, conflict remains a major factor keeping children out of school. Education continues to receive less than 2% of humanitarian appeals. We have to do more, and we have to do better.

Based on a recent review of 22 countries affected by conflict[1], UNICEF found that nearly 24 million children living in crisis zones are out of school. The analysis highlights that nearly one in four of the 109.2 million school-aged children who live in conflict areas are missing out on their education.

Those countries that most need the benefits of education are often those with the most children missing out on education. South Sudan is home to the highest proportion of out–of-school children with over half (51%) of primary and lower secondary age children not accessing an education. Niger is a close second with 47% children unable to attend school, followed by Sudan (41%) and Afghanistan (40%). (UNICEF press release).

In countries affected by conflict, data is extremely difficult to collect so these numbers only tell part of the story.  Numbers change every day as families are forced to flee or as areas become inaccessible to aid and development partners. Conflict is complex and protracted. We can no longer say that education will be prioritized once things get better; wee have to act as soon as we can, so that millions of children don’t lose out on their education.

Absence from school can lead to more violence

Headlines tell shocking stories of children abducted and viciously attacked.  Sadly, when children are not safely in school, there are also less visible but as damaging consequences: girls are married off at younger ages, unaddressed trauma can stunt development, and a the gap between those who have opportunities at a better life and those who do not widens.

It is not our responsibility to ensure that children just survive, we must also ensure they thrive. UNICEF and a strong coalition of partners, including the Global Partnership for Education and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, are working to find new ways to ensure education is prioritized and funded, and we hope you’ll join us.  We can’t afford to lose another day.

Note on data: the UIS December 2015 release data (most recent data available between 2009 and 2014) was used as a default. For countries that do not have UIS data, UNICEF used MICS (Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey) or DHS (Demographic Health Survey) estimates (most recent data available between 2009 and 2014) from the UNICEF global database. ​