Children’s Right to Education in Armed Conflict (GCHumanRights)

Between 2015-2019 more than 22,000 children and young people but also teachers and academics were injured, killed or harmed. Afghanistan, Colombia, Cameroon, DRC, Myanmar, Palestine, Syria, The Philippines, Turkey, Ukraine, Yemen… around the whole world, schools and universities continue to being occupied, bombed and destroyed; school boys and girls are being abducted or recruited at school or on the way to/from school; in other cases attackers threaten them with the use of force, including sexual violence. In addition to any physical damage, which is already appalling, the moral and psycho-social damage to the life of these children should be a major concern. Yet, education under attack in armed conflicts is still a daily reality for too many of them.

This MOOC will fill this knowledge gap and will mobilise more people and resources in the defence of such a fundamental right when and where it is most needed. Thanks to the regional reach of the Global Campus of Human Rights, case studies and examples from the field will be used to illustrate situations, violations and existing good practices. Academics and experts will contribute analytical and practical inputs, while testimonies from affected children, young students and teachers/educators will contextualise impact and hopefully inspire change.

Registration deadline: 8 March 2024

The MOOC runs over 5 weeks and is organised in 3 modules:

Module 1 – Education as a right for children

Education as an enabling right and a multiplier

Education in situations of armed conflict

Module 2 – Protecting the right to education of children in armed conflict

Facing violations during armed conflict

Minimising risks and maximising protection

Module 3 – The way forward

Possible solutions to protect the right to education during armed conflict

At the end of the course, participants will have gained

- Key information about definitions, components and core content of the right to education

- Increased awareness about the connections between the right to education and armed conflict

- Robust knowledge on legal standards, monitoring mechanisms and promising practices related to the right to education in the framework of armed conflict

- Clearer understanding – through reference to case studies and implementation on the ground – of the need to adopt a rights-based approach to children’s education in the context of armed conflict.

Ultimately, the course is a pathway to:

- Reinforce awareness and amplify dialogue on the importance of talking and acting on children’s education as a matter of rights

- Empower participants through education on how to defend the right to education even – and above all - during armed conflict

- Envisage a roadmap for change, including on how to develop inter-sectoral collaboration, policy plans, monitoring processes and advocacy strategies.

The course encompasses 5 weeks with approximately 25-30 hours of active learning. It will include video lectures, readings, peer-to-peer learning through discussions and webinars as well as knowledge checks with polls and quizzes, all aimed at developing and reinforcing personal critical reflection. Case studies will focus on examples and current debates from different regions and countries in the world.