Elevating Education in Emergencies: Securing Uninterrupted Learning for Crisis-affected Children

English: Programme | Framing Paper

French: Programme | Document de Cadrage

A child’s right to education does not cease when an emergency begins; ensuring access to uninterrupted and quality learning for children and young people caught in emergencies and protracted crises is paramount. Striving towards this goal is often complex, involving multiple actors with diverse technical expertise, geographic presence and specific mandates, necessitating strong coordination to effectively and efficiently meet growing education needs.

With this in mind, the topic of the fourth and final instalment of the Elevating Education in Emergencies series explore what it takes to secure uninterrupted learning for crisis affected children and youth. Convened virtually by the Global Education Cluster and the Permanent Missions of Switzerland and Norway to the United Nations Office in Geneva, the event gathered more than 220 participants. It featured a diverse group of panelists from Burkina Faso, Yemen and global organizations (the Overseas Development Institute, UNHCR, the Refugee Agency, and UNESCO IIEP) whose interventions unpacked and demystified what the humanitarian-development nexus looks like in practice, and how it contributes to securing uninterrupted learning.

Key Takeaways from Panelists

• Tools from both humanitarian and development actors are essential to secure uninterrupted learning; strengthening the nexus is key to supporting continued learning for crisis affected children and youth
• Harmonizing data and information collection and analysis processes promotes an important exchange of knowledge between humanitarian and development actors
• Effective coordination reinforces the humanitarian-development nexus as it ensures better school coverage, greater continuity and fewer gaps
• We cannot divorce humanitarian response from long term development priorities; ‘joined up coordination’:
  • Promotes convergence around common outcomes and goals
  • Maintains the current coordination architecture and accountabilities
  • Recognizes specific needs of children
  • Promotes humanitarian-development coherence

Missed the meeting? View the recording here.

The Elevating Education in Emergencies series was envisioned to increase attention for, and prioritization of, education in humanitarian response while also providing practitioners and partners with a platform to highlight their experiences and elevate their voices. We conclude the series with their Call to Action to UN Member States and international partners reminds us that the challenges are immense and the collective action is required to ensure protection, dignity and development of children and youth in emergency contexts through education.