Education has been globally accepted as a fundamental right of all children, which should be available without restriction with respect to boundaries and discriminations. Most international organizations including UNESCO and UNICEF have reiterated this time and time again. It is the responsibility of relevant governments to ensure the provision of quality education to all. However, in the current context of increasing incidences of natural disasters and armed conflicts, innocent children suffer the most and their universal right to education becomes increasingly jeopardized.

Education can be linked to crises in three main stages; that is, in the prevention of a crisis, during a crisis and in post crisis.

War as well as peace begins in the minds of people. That is the reason why UNESCO has taken over the mission of building peace in the minds of both men and women. Prevention is always better than cure. Hence, it is of the utmost importance that all countries try to inculcate the concept of peace and sustainability in the minds of their youth. As such, we commend the initiatives of UNESCO, especially those of MGIEP, in this regard. Learning to live together being one of the four pillars of education, we must put a greater emphasis on global citizenship education in order to promote sustainable peace by inculcating acceptance, tolerance, empathy and a culture of sustainable consumption in the minds of younger generations. These proactive measures will contribute towards the reduction of conflicts and wars. Natural disasters are on the rise mostly due to un-inhibited human activities and various malpractices. If we can instill ideas such as the sustainable utilization of non-renewable resources and the respect of nature in the minds of young children, then there will be a tendency towards a reduction in the number of natural disasters occurring. Our research and development also require more emphasis on the development of child-friendly teaching and learning materials using games and simulations to improve child and public awareness on these aforementioned issues.

A crisis will always leave its impact on education in one way or another. Whether in the form of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and cyclones, or armed conflicts, children’s right to education is threatened during emergency situations. Children in low income countries are most vulnerable to such situations. According to UNICEF, 36% of the world’s 59.3 million out-of-school children live in countries affected by war and violence. It is also noteworthy that each year 100 million children and young people are affected by natural disasters that prevent them from pursuing education. In most countries, the first choice of location for makeshift refugee camps during disasters or situations of war and conflict is schools. Such a scenario thus deprives the school’s students of their right to education. In some instances, schools have become unwitting targets of long-range weapon strikes leaving many casualties as well as the destruction of the school’s property. A UNICEF report noted that schools and universities that had been taken over for military purposes were intentionally targeted for attacks in 70 countries over the last few years. It is heart wrenching to learn that over 13 million children in the Middle East and North Africa are being prevented from attending school due to conflict.

Queen Rania of Jordan in 2013 said that children need education more during emergencies. Education can help children deal better with the ordeals they are faced with in times of hardship. It has been noted that schools can provide children with the stability, structure and routine they need in order to cope with loss, fear, stress and violence during and after crises. In addition, education empowers children by providing them with the wisdom necessary to protect themselves by identifying signs of forthcoming disasters. It was reported that during the 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of South and Southeast Asia knowledgeable children saved thousands of lives by recognizing such natural warning signs and advising people of the dangers accordingly. Education for Disaster Risk Reduction has used novel methods including electronic media and simulation exercises to make them more user-friendly and appealing to children. It is also important that educational authorities develop more electronic study materials and establish the necessary infrastructure so that even a displaced child can access learning materials from wherever they are through different electronic media.

Consecutive governments in Sri Lanka did their best to ensure children received uninterrupted education during a 30-year conflict. This prevented damage to Sri Lanka’s human capital although during this time there were several incidences of forced recruitment of child soldiers. This is one of the major factors that prevented total socio-economic instability of the country during this period. Education also served to bridge the gaps between different ethnic groups.

In the wake of any crisis, countries are left to deal with damaged infrastructure and heavily bruised minds. Mending damaged property or infrastructure is easier than mending bruised minds. It is necessary to handle these sensitive situations extremely carefully so that we can heal the wounds and scars that are left in the minds of children and young adults and to ensure the country’s steady growth. This is of critical importance for the psychological development of children affected by war or any other such disaster. Sri Lanka has the bitter taste of both. In the midst of a conflict, which was running for three decades, the country then had to deal with the overwhelming damage left by the 2004 tsunami. The devastation of losing one or both parents along with other loved ones left hundreds and thousands of children feeling helpless and without hope. It took many years of careful counseling, psychological treatment and, most importantly, inclusive education to bring them back to a world of renewed hope.

It is necessary to devise special methods of education delivery for those children who have come through crises because many youth are left with lasting physical as well as mental trauma. Novel teaching and learning tools coupled with the use of modern technologies will play a pivotal role in educating affected youth in the aftermath of wars and natural disasters. Our future investment should be targeted towards innovation, Information and Communications Technology in education and disaster preparedness in addition to the development of improved education quality. I urge all countries to consider these issues in the preparation of their mid- and long-term education planning in order to restore the lives and the futures of children affected by disasters by ensuring they continue to have access to education.

Akila Viraj Kariyawasam (MP), 
Minister of Education, Sri Lanka