A scene from a community based school run by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in the Behsud District of Nangarhar province, just outside the provincial capital, Jalalabad. The school caters for internally displaced children, most of whom have returned from Pakistan after years as refugees. The majority are from families originally from Kunar province but due to ongoing conflict there are unable to return. (Photo: Andrew Quilty / Oculi for Norwegian Refugee Council)

Education

Tonje Hisdal Johannessen|Published 12. Jun 2016
Education
Access to education is critical in emergency responses. Safe spaces for learning provide children with a sense of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic situation and help them cope with stress and trauma. NORCAP education experts ensure that rapid access to education is prioritised.

We play a leading role among UN standby partners in education, particularly during emergencies. We work closely with partners to fill urgent education needs in the field and in strategic global roles. Our experts deploy quickly to provide programming assistance and coordinate education responses.

They also help to develop system-wide preparedness by training field colleagues and building national capacity. Experience from various international responses helps us to inform policies and strategies on education in emergencies at the global level.

Fatima-6 years old(left) and her sister Hafsat-8 years old(right). They are displaced children living together with their mother and other siblings in Bulabulin. They both want to go to school and wish to become doctors when they grow. (Photo: NRC/Ingrid Prestetun)
Fatima, 6 years old (left) and her sister, Hafsat, 8 years old(right). They are displaced children living together with their mother and other siblings in Bulabulin. They both want to go to school and wish to become doctors when they grow up. (Photo: NRC/Ingrid Prestetun)


Field example

Nigeria is faced with an emergency rooted in opposition to education. Since 2009, the militant Islamist group Boko Haram has targeted children, schools and educational institutions with systematic destruction of schools, killings and abductions of teachers and students.

NORCAP education experts have worked to mobilise United Nations (UN) and NGO partners to strengthen local communities’ role in protecting children  and schools. Safe school initiatives such as fencing projects, early warning and evacuation planning have been part of the trainings given to the communities.