Education in crisis situations

An estimated 128 million primary and secondary aged children are out of school in crisis-affected countries.

During conflict, schools are often destroyed or become unsafe. Students are forced out of school, making them more vulnerable to violence, permanent displacement, early marriage and forced labor. When displaced, children have no guarantee that they will be able to attend school when they arrive at a safer destination.

Ensuring that children have access to education during conflict and crises protects their rights, provides a sense of normalcy, and fosters resilience, inclusion and tolerance, supporting the long-term processes of recovery and peacebuilding.

GPE 2025 identifies support to countries affected by fragility and conflict as a key priority, in order to reach the children most in need of education support.

In crisis situations, GPE helps restart schooling fast while building stronger education systems for the long term.

GPE supports education interventions that accompany children throughout a country's progress from preparedness through to recovery to reduce the impact of crises. It recognizes that securing education services across the divide between humanitarian and development interventions is crucial to maintaining progress.

GPE also promotes a foundation for better coordination and dialogue among development and humanitarian actors so that resources are used most effectively in crisis settings.

Flexible and accelerated funding: Partner countries experiencing humanitarian crises can request accelerated funding from GPE up to 20% of their maximum allocation, with an approval in as little as 8 weeks. The funds are used based on the education cluster needs assessment and agreed by the local education group and the education cluster. Activities can include temporary shelters, school meals and school supplies, as well as classroom construction, teacher payments and school grants.

Transitional education planning: GPE provides financial and technical support to help partner countries establish a medium-term transitional education plan during a period of crisis. This forms the basis for a coordinated approach by identifying priority actions to maintain progress toward ensuring the right to education and meeting longer-term educational goals.

Operational framework for effective support in countries affected by fragility and conflict: Under this policy, GPE is able to redirect resources to priority activities arising from an emergency.

These mechanisms ensure that GPE funding to the education sector does not stop when emergencies strike and that partners can work together in identifying the most pressing needs and the best use of the funds.

Working with partners. GPE works with Education Cannot Wait, UNHCR and other partners to ensure that education can be delivered effectively during crises. GPE is also facilitating dialogue among development and humanitarian actors in many countries to improve linkages and joint planning and to avoid fragmentation in education planning and financing.