The role of education in conflict and displacement contexts are incredibly important, especially given the rising global challenges to safe schooling. Let's break down the points based on my current knowledge and real-world scenarios.

The Role of Teachers in Creating Safe Spaces

Teachers play a multifaceted and critical role in creating safe spaces through education in conflict and displacement contexts. Beyond their traditional instructional duties, they often become frontline protectors, psychosocial support providers, and community anchors. Firstly, teachers provide a sense of normalcy and routine amidst chaos, which is vital for children experiencing trauma and displacement. Maintaining a structured learning environment can offer psychological stability and a sense of predictability, helping children cope with the stress of their circumstances. This routine can also act as a protective factor against recruitment by armed groups or involvement in dangerous activities. Secondly, teachers are often the first responders to the psychosocial needs of students. They are uniquely positioned to identify signs of distress, trauma, and mental health challenges in children. Through empathetic engagement and, when trained, basic psychosocial support, they can help students process their experiences and build resilience. In many conflict-affected areas, teachers receive training in mental health first aid and conflict-sensitive education approaches, enabling them to address the emotional well-being of their students. Thirdly, teachers can act as advocates for their students and schools within the community and with external organizations. They can communicate the needs of their students, report incidents of violence or threats, and mobilize community support for educational continuity. In some cases, teachers have even negotiated with armed groups for the safe passage of students or the reopening of schools, as seen in Mopti, Mali, where community members, including educators, leveraged the Safe Schools Declaration to re-open schools. Finally, teachers are instrumental in implementing conflict-sensitive curricula that promote peace, respect, and social cohesion. By fostering an inclusive learning environment and teaching about human rights, conflict resolution, and cultural understanding, they can help mitigate tensions and build a foundation for long-term peace. This is particularly crucial in contexts where education itself can inadvertently exacerbate divisions if not approached thoughtfully.

Guidelines for the Protection of Learners, Teachers, and School Infrastructures While specific guidelines can vary by community and national context, the overarching framework for protecting learners, teachers, and school infrastructure in conflict zones is often informed by international agreements like the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The Safe Schools Declaration, endorsed by 121 states as of 2025, provides a comprehensive set of commitments for protecting education during armed conflict. Key guidelines and commitments include:

Implementing the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict: These guidelines aim to prevent educational facilities from being used for military purposes, which can turn them into legitimate military targets. This involves integrating these principles into domestic policy, military doctrine, and rules of engagement.

Collecting reliable data on attacks and military use of schools: This data is crucial for understanding the scope of the problem and informing protective measures.

Providing assistance to victims of attacks: Ensuring non-discriminatory support for those affected by attacks on education.

Investigating and prosecuting perpetrators: Holding accountable those who violate national and international law by attacking educational institutions or personnel.

Developing conflict-sensitive approaches to education: Designing curricula and teaching methods that promote peace and respect among different groups.

Ensuring continuity of safe education: Working to keep education accessible during conflict and restoring access after attacks.

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) also plays a crucial role. Under IHL, students, teachers, and schools are presumed to be civilians and civilian objects, respectively, and are therefore protected from attack. While schools can lose their protected status if they become military objectives, IHL still mandates that all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid or minimize civilian harm, and indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks are prohibited. IHL also includes provisions requiring parties to a conflict to facilitate access to education. At a national level, countries like Nigeria have developed initiatives such as the National Plan for Financing Safe Schools to mobilize funding and political will for protected learning environments. In Ukraine, efforts include providing bomb shelters in schools, offering mental health support, and training teachers as first responders. In North-West Syria, Save the Children has implemented robust surveillance systems with real-time monitoring and early warning alerts for suspicious activities.

Best Way to Advocate for Safe Schools Advocating for safe schools in conflict and displacement contexts requires a multi-pronged approach that combines international pressure, national policy implementation, and grassroots community engagement.

Promoting and Implementing the Safe Schools Declaration: The most effective way to advocate is to encourage more states to endorse the SSD and, crucially, to ensure that endorsing states translate their commitments into concrete national policies and practices. This includes integrating the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use into military doctrine and training.

Strengthening Accountability: Advocating for the investigation and prosecution of those who attack schools and educational personnel is paramount. This sends a clear message that such acts are unacceptable and will not go unpunished, thereby deterring future attacks. This involves supporting mechanisms for data collection on attacks and ensuring victims have access to justice.

Community-Led Initiatives: Empowering local communities, including parents, teachers, and religious leaders, to advocate for the protection of their schools is highly effective. As seen in Mali, local communities can directly engage with armed groups to negotiate the safe reopening of schools, especially when supported by international organizations that can translate international frameworks like the SSD into local languages and contexts.

Raising Awareness and Data Dissemination: Continuously highlighting the impact of attacks on education through reports like "Education under Attack" by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) is crucial. This data helps to inform policymakers, galvanize public opinion, and demonstrate the urgent need for action.

Integrating Education into Humanitarian Response: Advocating for education to be recognized as a life-saving intervention in humanitarian crises ensures that it receives adequate funding and attention alongside other essential services.

What More Could Be Done to Ensure the Safety of Schools and Their Communities? Despite existing frameworks and efforts, much more can be done to ensure the safety of schools and their communities in conflict and displacement contexts.

Enhanced Funding for Safe Education Initiatives: There is a critical need for increased and sustained funding for national-level implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and other initiatives aimed at protecting education. This includes funding for rehabilitating damaged schools, providing temporary learning spaces, and supporting conflict-sensitive education programs.

Capacity Building for Teachers and School Staff: Investing in comprehensive training for teachers and school administrators on psychosocial support, conflict resolution, emergency preparedness, and reporting mechanisms is essential. This empowers them to better protect themselves and their students.

Integration of Technology for Protection: Utilizing technology for surveillance, early warning systems, and secure communication channels can enhance the safety of schools. For example, robust surveillance systems with real-time monitoring can provide early alerts for suspicious activities.

Stronger International Cooperation and Diplomacy: International bodies and states need to exert greater diplomatic pressure on parties to conflict to respect IHL and the commitments of the Safe Schools Declaration. This includes condemning attacks on education and holding perpetrators accountable.

Addressing Root Causes of Conflict: Ultimately, long-term safety for schools and communities requires addressing the underlying causes of conflict and displacement, such as poverty, inequality, political instability, and lack of governance. While this is a broader challenge, it is intrinsically linked to the safety of educational environments.

Child and Youth Participation: Ensuring that children and young people themselves have a voice in designing and implementing protection measures for their schools and communities can lead to more effective and contextually relevant solutions. Their perspectives are invaluable in understanding the specific threats they face and how best to mitigate them.

Mainstreaming Conflict-Sensitive Education: Beyond specific interventions, integrating conflict-sensitive approaches into all aspects of education policy and practice, from curriculum development to teacher recruitment, can build more resilient and peaceful societies.

By combining these efforts, the international community, national governments, and local communities can work more effectively to safeguard education from the devastations of armed conflict and ensure that every child has the right to learn in safety.