Conflict kills education: Rwandan experiences show how lost years can be recovered
HUMANITARIAN situations, especially protracted violent conflicts, are a serious barrier to accessing education. This is why, for 30 years, aid practitioners have been advocating for “Education in Emergencies”. The idea is to try to ensure “the right to education in emergencies and post-conflict reconstruction”. MIHO TAKA, Assistant Professor, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University But violent conflicts pose significant challenges to deliver education in emergencies. For instance, in Rwanda, schooling rapidly deteriorated when the 1990 civil war began. Schooling came to a complete stop in April 1994 and reopened again in September 1994. By this time the…