COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises
Date: 2018-05-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), European Commission
Subjects: access to education, assistance in training, children's rights, development aid, education, emergency aid, humanitarian aid, integration of migrants, right to education, the EU's international role

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 18.5.2018 COM(2018) 304 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises  
 
 
1.  A  COMMITMENT  TO  SAFE,  INCLUSIVE,  AND  QUALITY  EDUCATION  IN  EMERGENCIES  AND 

PROTRACTED CRISES IN EU EXTERNAL ACTION 

The  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development,  in  particular  its  Goal  4,1  recognises  the 
importance of quality education and training as an essential foundation in addressing major 
global challenges. In 2016, this was recognised at the World Humanitarian Summit with the 
launch  of  the  Education  Cannot  Wait  Platform2  to  transform  the  delivery  of  education  in 
emergencies and protracted crises. 

The right to education is recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European 
Union3 which is addressed to the EU institutions as well as to the Member States when the 
latter implement EU law. It is essential for peaceful societal development4, economic growth 
and the realisation of individual potential. The Treaty on European Union expressly commits 
the EU to promote the protection of the rights of the child.5 The right to quality and inclusive 
education, training and life-long learning is the first principle of the European Pillar of Social 
Rights.6 Children are assigned a special place in EU external action, anchored in children’s 
rights7  and  affirming  that  “progress  in  the  condition  of  children  is  essential  if  we  are  to 
prevent  state  fragility  and  ensure  long-term  sustainable  development,  social  cohesion, 
stability and human security at national, regional and global levels”.8  

Yet, the reality is that access to quality education is being denied to millions of children by 
increasingly protracted conflicts, forced displacement, violence, climate change and disasters. 
These  are  leaving  uneducated,  lost  generations  in  their  wake  and  are  major  root  causes 
leading  many  to  embark  on  perilous  journeys  to  Europe9  and  other  regions  of  the  world, 
affecting their stability and development. 

Half of the world's out-of-school children live in contexts affected by crisis and conflict and 
almost  half  of  refugees  of  primary  school  age  are  out  of  school.  This  compels  the  EU  to 
respond  by  using  its  range  of  instruments  and  approaches.  The  EU  has  significantly 
increased its support to education in emergencies and protracted crises worldwide in recent 
years,  recognising  that  education  is  the  most  chronically  underfunded  sector  in  crises, 
accounting for less than 3 per cent of total global funding for humanitarian aid10. The EU has 
increased  financing  to  education  in  emergencies  and  crises  from  1  per  cent  of  its 
humanitarian aid in 2015, to 8 per cent in 2018, with an aim to reach 10 per cent as of 2019. 
A large proportion of its 2014-2020 bilateral development assistance to education is allocated 
to fragile and crisis-affected countries. The EU is a leading donor to education in response to 

1 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. 
2 http://www.educationcannotwait.org/ 
3  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  European  Union,  Article  14.  OJ  C  326,  26.10.2012,  p.  391–407;  UN 

General Assembly, Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 Nov. 1989, UN, Treaty Series, vol. 1577 

4 A Global Strategy for the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy presented by the HRVP in June 2016 
https://europa.eu/globalstrategy/sites/globalstrategy/files/pages/files/eugs_review_web_13.pdf 
5  Article  3  (3)  second  subparagraph  and  (5)  Treaty  on  European  Union  (TEU)  expressly  commits  the  EU  to 
promote the protection of the rights of the child in EU internal and external action.  
6 Commission Communication on Establishing a European Pillar of Social Rights, COM(2017) 250 
7 EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, adopted by Council in 2017.  
8 COM(2008) 55 and the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, adopted by 

Council in 2017. 

9  COM  (2017)  211  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council:  The 
Protection of Children in Migration 
10 UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2016) Aid to education stagnates, jeopardising global targets 
and  UNESCO  Global  Education  Monitoring  Report  (2017)  Accountability  in  Education:  meeting  our 
commitments 

1 

 
                                                            
the Syria regional crisis and is providing significant multilateral financing to global initiatives 
addressing education needs in emergencies and crises.11 

Current EU assistance to education in emergencies and protracted crises covers all levels of 
education,  working  with  governments,  United  Nations  agencies,  non-governmental 
organisations,  civil  society,  private  sector  actors,  the  Global  Partnership  for  Education  and 
other  stakeholders.  Bilateral  support  and  policy  dialogue  with  governments  is  accompanied 
by  an  array  of  initiatives  to  mitigate  education  disruption  around  the  world,  from  the 
establishment  of  temporary  learning  spaces  to  the  development  of  distance  learning 
programmes for children who cannot reach school sites. For example, the EU has responded 
to  the  education  needs  of  Syrian  children  at  scale,  using  bilateral  development  financing, 
humanitarian  aid,  the  EU  Regional  Trust  Fund  in  Response  to  the  Syrian  Crisis  and  the 
Facility for Refugees in Turkey. 

In  recent  years,  needs  on  the  ground  have  grown  significantly  and  new  challenges  have 
emerged.  While  the  scale  of  needs  is  beyond  its  resources,  the  EU  has  a  role  to  play  by 
scaling  up  its  responses,  focusing  on  reaching  those  in  greatest  need  of  support12,  and 
mobilising global support for further action.  

This Communication therefore proposes an updated EU policy framework to address, through 
EU external action, the growing challenges of education in emergencies and protracted crises 
outside  the  EU.  It  proposes  an  approach  that  strengthens  mutual  responsibility  among 
relevant  EU  external  instruments  to  address  education  needs  in  emergencies  and  crises 
through humanitarian and development assistance, based on coordination, complementarity 
and  political  action  (''nexus"13').  It  also  reflects  new  and  emerging  priorities,  such  as  the 
effects of violence on education. 

Responding to education needs in emergencies and crises requires a holistic approach. This 
Communication  sets  out  the  Commission’s  understanding  of  the  term  education  in 
emergencies and protracted crises in its broadest sense; rooted in a strategic and integrated 
approach  to  promoting  safe,  inclusive  and  quality  learning  opportunities  for  all.  Education 
encompasses  life-long  learning,  including  formal  and  non-formal14  delivery  of  established 
levels of education systems, to include early childhood, primary, secondary, post-secondary 
non-tertiary,  and  tertiary  education  (including  technical  and  vocational  training,  university, 
and other forms of skills development).  

The Commission’s approach to education in emergencies and crises encompasses sudden and 
slow-onset  emergencies,  conflicts,  situations  of  violence,  forced  displacement,  disasters 
(man-made and natural) and public health emergencies, protracted and recurrent crises or any 
combination of these. Aiming to support continuous education provision, this approach works 
across  the  humanitarian-development  nexus  to  cover  preparedness,  disaster  risk  reduction, 
prevention, mitigation, emergency response, assistance during protracted crises and recovery. 

11  The  EU,  through  its  development  assistance,  has  pledged  EUR  475  million  to  the  Global  Partnership  for 
Education and contributes EUR 16 million to Education Cannot Wait in the period 2018-2020, and, through its 
humanitarian assistance, EUR 1 million to the Global Education Cluster in 2018-2019. 

12 See section 3.2 for prioritisation of those most in need.  
13 Implement EU commitments in the Communication 'Lives in Dignity: from Aid-dependence to Self-reliance' 

(COM(2016) 234) and the new European Consensus on Development OJ C 210, 30.6.2017, p. 1–24. 

14  Aligned  with  Council  recommendation  on  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  OJ  C  398, 
22.12.2012,  p.  1–5:  Formal  learning  takes  place  in  an  organised  and  structured  environment,  specifically 
dedicated to learning, and typically leads to the award of a qualification, usually in the form of a certificate or 
a diploma; Non-formal learning takes place through planned activities, where some form of learning support is 
present,  it  may  cover  programmes  to  impart  work  skills,  adult  literacy  and  basic  education  for  early  school 
leavers. 

2 

 
                                                            
1.1. The threat of lost generations 

Children  make  up  one  third  of  the  world’s  population,  yet  comprise  more  than  half  of  all 
people  affected  by  humanitarian  crises.  The  number  of  girls  and  boys  experiencing  these 
crises accounts for half of the world’s out-of-school children, and this is on the rise.15 Syria, 
Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are among 
some  35  crisis-affected  countries  where  nearly  75  million  school-aged  children  (3-18  years 
old) experience disruption to their education.16 This risk is considerably higher for displaced 
people. The United Nations Refugee Agency estimates that more than 65 million persons are 
currently  displaced  (the  highest  number  since  the  Second  World  War),  with  the  average 
duration  of  displacement  often  exceeding  20  years.17  Just  over  half  of  refugees  of  primary 
school age attend school, while less than a quarter of the equivalent age group is in secondary 
school  and  merely  1  per  cent  in  tertiary  education.  Girls  are  notably  more  disadvantaged, 
being 2.5 times more likely to be out-of-school in affected countries.18  

The  future  of  millions  of  children and  young people is  threatened  by increased  violence in 
education  settings19,  including  attacks  on  schools  and  universities,  such  as  abductions  of 
students,  military  use  of  schools,  the  presence  of  landmines,  unexploded  ordnances  and 
remnants of war around schools and destruction of educational buildings. Education can be 
abused by authorities to foster hatred and intolerance, increase inequality and oppression and 
recruit  vulnerable  children  to  engage  in  acts  of  violence.20  Inequalities  in  the  provision  of 
education  can  generate  a  sense  of  injustice  and  further  disadvantage  marginalised  groups, 
which can ultimately fuel conflict.21  

Children and young people who are out of school are exposed to increased risks of sexual 
and gender-based violence, violent extremism, forced marriage, early pregnancy, child labour 
and  forced  recruitment.22  Persistent,  violent  and  often  protracted  conflicts,  forced 
displacement,  inequalities  and  limited  economic  opportunities  and  access  to  basic  services 
further increase vulnerability to these risks. The effects of crises on access to education, such 
as school closure or military presence in schools, can prompt people's displacement in search 
of  safer  environments,  very  often  under  life-threating  circumstances.  Education  is  a  vital 
portable asset. 

Emergencies and protracted crises further weaken education systems that are already under-
resourced,  undermining  the  learning  outcomes  and  potential  of  children  and  young 
people.  Frequent  school  disruptions  and  the  psycho-social  damage  caused  by  traumatic 
events  impede  learning  and  are  compounded  by  teacher  shortages  and  overcrowded 
classrooms.  

15  World  Bank  Group  (2017)  World  Development  Report:  Learning  to  Realise  Education's  Promise.  Children 
living in the most fragile contexts make up about 20 per cent of the world's primary school age population, yet 
they constitute about 50 per cent of those not in school, an increase from 42 per cent in 2008.  

16  Overseas  Development  Institute  (2016)  “A  common  platform  for  education  in  emergencies  and  protracted 

crises: Evidence paper.” ODI, London 

17 UNHCR Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016  
18 UNICEF (2017) Education Uprooted: For every migrant, refugee and displaced child, education.  
19Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. Education Under Attack Report 2018. 
20 Burde et al (2015) What works to promote children's educational access, quality of learning and wellbeing in 

crisis-affected contexts.   

21  UNESCO  (2011)  Education  for  All  Global  Monitoring  Report,  The  hidden  crisis:  Armed  conflict  and 

education  

22  Nicolai  et  al  (2015)  Education  in  emergencies  and  protracted  crises  towards  a  strengthen  response: 

Background paper for the Oslo Summit on education for development.   

3 

 
 
 
                                                            
1.2. Strengthening EU external action 

In  pursuit  of  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals,  and  in  line  with  the  Education  2030 
Agenda, the EU will focus on four strategic priority areas of action:  

1.  Strengthening systems and partnerships for a rapid, efficient, effective and innovative 

education response; 

2.  Promoting access, inclusion and equity; 
3.  Championing education for peace and protection; 
4.  Supporting quality education for better learning outcomes. 

To make progress against these priorities, the Commission will improve ways of working in 
terms of coordination, global leadership and financing.  

Joint and coordinated programming and planning will be promoted within the Commission, 
with EU Member States and with other donors and partners, with a balance of short, medium 
and long-term responses. The EU will use its global role, reach and instruments to increase 
global  attention  to  unmet  needs  and  funding  shortfalls,  and  to  strengthen  coordination  and 
operational response capacities. 

In  the  past  three  years,  the  increases  in  EU  humanitarian  financing  to  education  in 
emergencies have resulted from increased political efforts, based on the scale of needs. This 
financing  should  now  be  sustained  to  enable  the  pursuit  of  EU  strategic  priorities,  and 
ultimately  to  reach  the  millions  of  children  and  young  people  at  risk  of  becoming  lost 
generations.  

  The  Commission  will  aim  to  allocate  10  per  cent  of  its  humanitarian  assistance  to 

education in emergencies and protracted crises as of 2019.23 

  The  Commission  will  support  globally  coordinated,  timely,  predictable  and  flexible 

financing for education in emergencies and protracted crises. 

2. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES AND PROTRACTED CRISES 

2.1.  Strengthening  systems  and  partnerships  for  a  rapid,  efficient,  effective  and 
innovative education response 

With the aim to ensure availability, predictability and transparency of financing to education 
in  emergencies  and  crises  and  in  line  with  the  2016  World  Humanitarian  Summit 
commitments24,  EU  actions  will  improve  the  effectiveness  of  responses  across  the 
humanitarian-development  nexus.  In  doing  so,  the  Commission  will  adopt  shared  short, 
medium and long term perspectives, stronger coordination mechanisms, joint analyses, joint 
oversight of actions and shared contributions to reporting, among other measures. This will 
contribute to a contextually relevant mix of predictable, multi-annual and short to medium-
term financing assistance.  

The Commission will reinforce and streamline its actions for the provision of education as a 
global  public  good,  through  multilateral  financing,  technical  assistance,  global  convening, 
participation in advisory bodies and other external engagement opportunities. 

23  Exceeding  the  level  of  recommendations  of  the  International  Commission  on  Financing  Global  Education 

Opportunity (The Learning Generation report, 2016). 

24  Launched  at  the  World  Humanitarian  Summit  in  2016,  the  Grand  Bargain  initiative  includes  a  series  of 
changes  in  the  working  practices  of  donors  and  aid  organisations,  including  gearing  up  cash  programming, 
greater  funding  for  national  and  local  responders  and  cutting  bureaucracy  through  harmonised  reporting 
requirements. 

4 

 
 
                                                            
The Commission will take a targeted approach to strengthen education systems, leveraging its 
role  in  political  dialogue  and  bilateral  support  to  this  end.  Where  possible  and  appropriate, 
Union financing will support government systems, including those hosting refugees25, as the 
primary  duty-bearers  of  the  right  to  education.  If  direct  support  to  governments  is  not 
possible  or  appropriate,  system  strengthening  will  support  the  most  appropriate  available 
education actors.26 

To facilitate needs-based prioritisation of EU assistance, aligned to the priorities of national 
authorities,  the  Commission  will  include  education  needs  related  to  emergencies  and 
protracted crises into support for education sector planning. Union financing will be based on 
strong  needs  assessments,  including  from  education  ministries,  UN  agencies,  non-
governmental  organisations,  civil  society  organisations,  private  sector  actors  and  other 
relevant actors. 

Actors at all levels will be supported to improve the collection, management and analysis of 
data,  including  on  education  funding  and  data  on  learning  outcomes.  Actions  that  identify 
best  practices  and  effective  and  innovative  ways  for  information  sharing  and  management 
will also be supported. Capacity-building for all actors in the sector and at all levels will be 
prioritised, in coordination with the private sector where appropriate. 

While  the  EU  is  committed  to  public  education  services27,  private  sector  and  civil  society 
actors can provide added value in supporting these services. The Commission will engage the 
private sector to identify and develop innovative approaches and to link education reforms to 
societal  needs  and  labour  market  opportunities.  Improved  partnerships  and  coordination 
mechanisms  are  needed  with  other  relevant  sectors,  such  as  health,  livelihoods,  protection 
and nutrition, to enable integrated and holistic responses to children’s needs in emergencies 
and crises. 

Examples of good practice: 

In Lebanon, the EU supports the Ministry of Education and Higher Education's 'Reaching all 
Children  with  Education'  strategy  to  facilitate  the  integration  of  Syrian  refugees  into  the 
national  system.  EU  support  is  coordinated  through  a  Joint  Humanitarian-Development 
Framework  at  country  level,  which  includes  a  balance  of  bilateral  assistance  and  support 
through  the  EU  Regional  Trust  Fund  in  Response  to  the  Syrian  Crisis  and  humanitarian 
is  supported  by  UN  agencies  and  non-governmental 
assistance. 
organisations. 

Implementation 

The EU plays a leading role in the Education Dialogue Forum, initiated under the Education 
Cannot  Wait  Fund, which brings  together humanitarian and development  actors engaged in 
supporting education inside Syria. This has enabled shared oversight of programming, joint 
analyses and better coordination. 

The  EU  has  supported  recent  efforts  to  apply  the  Comprehensive  Refugee  Response 
Framework  at  regional  level  including  through  the  Ministerial  Conference  on  Refugee 
Education  held  in  Djibouti  in  December  2017  under  the  auspices  of  the  region's  Inter-
Governmental Authority on Development and the Government of Djibouti. The commitments 

In 

non-government 

25 The scope of this Communication is limited to action outside of the EU. 
26 
or 

providers, 
humanitarian/development  coordination  systems  or  others  may  be  considered  as  part  of  the  system  to 
strengthen. Alternatives may be sought where a government is responsible for attacks on learners or denial of 
education rights to marginalised groups. 

authorities 

alternative 

supported 

service 

areas, 

local 

27 COM (2016) 234. Commitments for education focus on: coordination and the nexus approach; the potential 
role  of  displaced  teachers;  supporting  good  functioning  public  education  services;  utilising  technological 
advancements and facilitating access to higher education for displaced learners. 

5 

 
                                                            
set  in  the  resulting  Declaration  and  Action  Plan  include  integrating  refugees  in  national 
education  systems,  developing  minimum  standards  and  targets  and  developing  a  regional 
mechanism to recognise qualifications. 

In  2015  earthquakes  in  Nepal  destroyed  35,000  classrooms  and  deprived  about  one  million 
children  of  their  schooling.  The  EU  worked  with  the  Government  and  other  partners  to 
supply  transitional  learning  centres  and  essential  supplies  to  enable  as  many  as  possible  to 
return  to  school  as  soon  as  possible.  The  EU  is  supporting  Nepal's  School  Sector 
Development  Plan  to  ''build  back  better''  in  earthquake-affected  areas,  reaching  out  to 
marginalised populations, strengthening planning and management capacities at all levels and 
ensuring better quality teaching and learning. 

Key actions to improve governance, accountability and financing:  

improvements 

  Support the strengthening of EU-wide and global funding coordination, transparency and 
the  International  Aid 

accountability,  such  as  by  supporting 
Transparency Initiative standard for reporting on education in emergencies and crises; 
  Promote  stronger  collaborative  partnerships,  including  at  global  level,  such  as  funding 
multi-stakeholder education actions that create added value and better impact through the 
expertise and experiences of all partners, particularly UN agencies and the private sector;  
In  collaboration  with  national  authorities,  invest  in  innovative  approaches  for  data 
management,  transparency  and  reporting,  including  tracking  teachers  and  out-of-school 
children, to facilitate the continuity of education and recognition of achievements; 

to 

 

  Support  capacity-building  of  education  actors  in  emergencies  and  crises,  such  as 
coordination bodies, response actors and governments, with an emphasis on civil society 
and  local  actors,  through  new  and  established  capacity  development  initiatives,  such  as 
the Global Education Cluster courses. 

2.2. Promoting access, inclusion and equity 

inter-cultural  sensitivity,  successful 

Peaceful  coexistence, 
integration  within  host 
communities  and  social  cohesion  are  crucial  functions  of  education  in  emergencies  and 
crises.  The  EU  will  support  the  integration  of  displaced  children  and  young  people  into 
education  systems,  including  support  to  host  communities,  thereby  actively  implementing 
commitments  in  the  new  European  Consensus  on  Development  and  the  Lives  in  Dignity 
Communication.28 

Recognising the scale of need and the limitations of EU support in this regard, actions will 
focus on those most in need, such as:  

  Out-of-school children and young people and those at risk of education disruption; 
  Forcibly  displaced  children  and  young  people  (refugees  and  internally  displaced 

people) and their host communities; 

  Vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including those children and young people who 
are  separated  and  unaccompanied,  in  hard  to  reach  areas,  living  with  disabilities  or 
additional  needs,  associated  with  armed  forces  and  groups  (including  particular 
attention  to  their  reintegration  through  education)  and  belonging  to  ethno-linguistic 
minorities and poorer socio-economic groups. 

Proactive and rapid responses are needed at all levels to minimise education disruption and to 
foster  inclusive,  safe  and  protective  education  opportunities.  Every  week,  month  and  year 

28 The new European Consensus on Development OJ C 210, 30.6.2017 and COM(2016) 234 Lives in Dignity: 

from Aid-dependence to Self-reliance 

6 

 
 
                                                            
spent  out  of  school  during  their  ‘school-aged’  years  further  disconnects  children  from  their 
education pathway and reduces the likelihood of returning to school.  

As  the  vast  majority  of  forcibly  displaced  children  and  young  people  are  hosted  in  low-
income  or  middle-income  countries29,  flexible  short-term  support  needs  to  go  hand-in-hand 
with  predictable  longer-term  financing  to  strengthen  the  resilience  and  effectiveness  of 
education  systems.  Education  systems  need  to  adapt  to  manage  recurrent  and  protracted 
displacement  and  to  address  the  needs  of  both  forcibly  displaced  populations  and  host 
communities.  This  requires  addressing  the  challenges  of  host  communities  in  ensuring 
inclusive  and  quality  education  services,  based  on  a  commitment  to  responsibility-sharing 
with affected countries.  

Emergencies and protracted crises have a disproportionate effect on the education of women 
and girls. Specific risks linked to gender, experienced by girls and boys in emergencies and 
crises,  include  early  and  forced  marriage,  early  pregnancy,  child  labour,  recruitment  into 
armed groups and sexual and gender-based violence. Education services need to respond to 
the needs of girls and boys, such as prioritising sex-segregated toilets in the rehabilitation of 
schools, to address the safety concerns of students and parents. The Commission will further 
emphasise  the  importance  of  the  inclusion  of  vulnerable  and  disadvantaged  groups.  Young 
people,  who  often  ''fall  through  the  cracks''  of  education  support  as  they  take  on  adult 
responsibilities, should be given special attention, with particular emphasis on their gender-
specific needs.  

Examples of good practice: 

Supported  by  the  EU,  the  innovative  Conditional  Cash  Transfer  for  Education  project  in 
Turkey has reached over 290,000 children in vulnerable refugee families supporting them to 
attend school regularly. 

The EU supported the development of the Rapid Response to Population Movements in the 
Democratic  Republic  of  Congo.  This  provides  rapid  needs  assessments  to  ensure  an 
integrated  assistance  package  to  populations  in  contexts  of  displacement,  disease or  natural 
disasters. 

The  EU,  together  with  Member  States,  is  the  largest  financial  contributor  to  the  United 
Nations  Relief  and  Work  Agency  (UNRWA)  operating  in  support  of  Palestinian  refugees. 
UNRWA  supports  more  than  513,000  children  and  young  people  to  attend  almost  700 
elementary,  preparatory  and  secondary  schools  and  vocational  training  centres  operating  in 
Gaza, the West Bank and throughout the region. 

When Ebola struck Sierra Leone in 2014, schools were closed for nine months. The Global 
Partnership for Education, with support from the EU, helped to provide alternative education 
via television and radio for children to watch and listen to while out of school. Once schools 
could  re-open,  the  Partnership  ensured  the  availability  of  safe  learning  environments  by 
disinfecting schools and providing hand-washing stations and supplies. 

Key actions to improve access, inclusion and equity:  

  Support  and  promote  proactive  and  rapid  response  mechanisms, 

including  by 
humanitarian organisations and governments, to reach children and young people during 
emergencies and crises and aim to return them to learning within three months30;  

29 UNHCR Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016 
30 This target aligns with ambitions in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, 2017 

7 

 
 
                                                            
  Prioritise  support  to  children  and  young  people  most  in  need  due  to  emergencies  and 

protracted crises; 

  Strengthen,  where  possible,  the  capacity  of  key  actors  in  education  systems,  especially 
education  ministries,  to  help  them  prepare  and  adapt  education  systems  to  manage 
recurrent and protracted displacement; 

  Support the gender-specific needs of children and young people, especially with regard to 
education and protection, with special focus on the education of girls and young women, 
in line with the Gender Action Plan 2016-202031. 

2.3. Championing education for peace and protection 

Education  is  a  powerful  tool  for  social  transformation,  improved  equity,  prosperity  and 
peace-building.  However,  poor,  abusive  or  manipulative  education  management  can  fuel 
conflict  through  oppression,  inequality  of  opportunity  and  outcome  or  the  promotion  of 
hatred  and  violence.  The  EU  will  promote  Conflict  Sensitive  Education32  and  support 
evidence-based  education  policies  that  promote  equality  and  protect  children  and  young 
people from stigmatisation by others, hate promotion, violent extremism and recruitment into 
armed groups. 

The  establishment  of  safe,  protective  and  quality  learning  environments  is  central  to  the 
Commission’s  approach.  Good  practices  are  required to  protect children  and  young  people, 
based  on  the  'Do  No  Harm'  principle.  Mindful  of  the  breakdown  of  institutional  and  social 
safeguards  that  often  happens  during  a  crisis,  child  safeguarding  systems  are  needed  in  the 
preparation, planning and implementation and transition stages of actions. The Commission 
recognises  and  supports  the  central  role  of  parents  and  caregivers  in  the  education  and 
protection of children and the broader role of communities in both.  

With  particular  relevance  in  emergencies  and  crises,  protection  should  be  at  the  heart  of 
education  systems  at  all  levels,  with  an  emphasis  on  non-violent  school  policies,  processes 
and  practices,  including  the  prevention  of  sexual  and  gender-based  violence.  Actions  to 
strengthen child protection need  assessments  and planning will be  supported, in addition to 
innovative interventions to address identified needs.  

To support more resilient education systems, EU assistance will extend beyond infrastructural 
support  to  withstand  disaster33,  to  support  disaster  risk  reduction  and  crisis  sensitive 
education planning. Education infrastructure should be structurally safe and conducive to safe 
and  inclusive  learning.  Support  to  infrastructure  in  emergencies  and  crises  will  include  a 
range of options, aligned to nationally agreed standards, such as temporary learning spaces, 
rehabilitation of damaged schools and school construction.  

Education  is  a  key  component  in  the  Commission’s  approach  to  resilience34,  as  it  helps  to 
build  individual  and  societal  resilience.  Education  is  a  cornerstone  of  individual  resilience, 
ensuring the well-being of new generations, providing protection and fostering the social and 
emotional  well-being  and  cognitive  development  of  people  affected  by  emergencies  and 
crises. EU assistance will promote the provision of psycho-social support, such as support for 
teachers and other care providers and referral and response pathways for children and young 

31 Gender Action Plan 2016-2020, Council conclusions (26 October 2015), 13201/15 
32 Inter-Agency network on Education in Emergencies. Guidance Note on Conflict Sensitive Education. 2013. 
33 COM (2014) 216 The post 2015 Hyogo Framework for Action: Managing risks to achieve resilience 
34 COM (2017) 21 and COM (2011) 637. The EU commits to enhancing support for quality education to give 
young  people  the  knowledge  and  skills  to  be  active  members  of  an  evolving  society.  The  new  European 
Consensus  on  Development  commits  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  to  apply  the  nexus  approach,  actively 
building individual, community, societal and state resilience. This is linked to preventing and tackling crises, 
reducing chronic vulnerabilities and building self-reliance, societal and state resilience.  

8 

 
                                                            
people  in  need  of  specialised  services.  Such  actions  should  be  embedded  in  existing  and 
national referral and response mechanisms.  

In  order  to address  and  work  to  eradicate  attacks  on  education,  the  Commission  recognises 
and  supports  the  work  of  the  Global  Coalition  to  Protect  Education  from  Attack  and  will 
support initiatives to promote and roll out the Safe Schools Declaration.35 Schools should be 
safe havens, as protected under International Humanitarian Law.  

Examples of good practice:  

The EU has supported the Schools as Zones of Peace project in the Democratic Republic of 
Congo. The project aims to secure girls’ and boys' protection at school, avoid disruptions to 
education due to armed conflict and to ensure that every child thrives and is educated in an 
atmosphere free from interference, violence and attack. 

The  Better  Learning  Programme  is  supported  by  the  EU  in  Palestine36  to  provide  psycho-
social  support  to  children  experiencing  nightmares  due  to  their  experiences  of  violence.  It 
combines  group  activities  that  teachers  can  deliver  with  specialised  services  for  children  in 
need of extra support. 

To  support  the  education  of  displaced  children  returning  to  their  villages  in  Pakistan's 
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), the EU has worked with local authorities and 
other agencies to 'build back better' for the longer term. Safe, protective and gender friendly 
learning  spaces  were  provided  for  45,000  children.  Peace-building  activities,  vocational 
skills, apprenticeship programmes were provided for young people. These actions form part 
of  a  ten  year  local  government  education  plan  being  developed  by  the  regional 
administration, with EU support. 

Key actions to support and strengthen education for peace and protection:  

  Promote  and  implement  the  principles  and  guidelines  of  Conflict  Sensitive  Education, 
such  as  ensuring  that  teaching  fosters  respect  for  diversity,  tolerance  and  active, 
responsible  citizenship, 
training,  curriculum  development  and 
professional development of teachers; 

through 

teacher 

  Strengthen education systems to prepare for and respond to disasters, such as through the 

Comprehensive School Safety Framework37; 

  Support actions  to  prevent  and respond to  violence,  including school related sexual and 

gender-based violence, through strengthening child safeguarding frameworks; 

  Support innovative approaches to improving the personal resilience of children and young 
people  affected  by  emergencies  and  protracted  crises,  including  through  actions 
incorporating psycho-social support and social and emotional learning interventions; 
  Advocate through all  channels available to the EU for the end to attacks on education and 

actively support initiatives and projects that seek to protect education from attack; 

  Support actions that reach beyond school boundaries and promote wider community and 
caregivers' engagement in education and protection in emergencies and protracted crises.  

35 The Safe Schools Declaration (2015) provides states the opportunity to express broad political support for the 
protection  and  continuation  of  education  in  armed  conflict,  and  is  the  instrument  for  states  to  endorse  and 
commit to implement the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed 
Conflict.  

36 This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the 

individual positions of the Member States on this issue. 

37  United  Nations  Office  for  Disaster  Risk  Reduction  and  Global  Alliance  for  Disaster  Risk  Reduction  and 

Resilience in the Education Sector (2017) Comprehensive School Safety Framework.  

9 

 
 
                                                            
2.4. Supporting quality education for better learning outcomes 

EU assistance  to  education  is  anchored on the premise that education systems should be of 
good  quality,  to  enable  children  and  young  people  to  succeed  in  their  learning.38  EU 
commitments  to  relevant  curricula,  trained  teachers  and  principals,  appropriate  teaching 
materials and the availability of appropriate school infrastructure remain pivotal to assistance 
in emergencies and protracted crises.39 

In  crisis  contexts,  particularly in  low-income  countries, the availability of qualified,  trained 
teachers is often lacking. Teachers may not have the language or pedagogic skills to meet the 
needs of learners. They, and other education staff, may themselves have experienced trauma 
and  require  support.  Displaced  teachers  may  lack  the  documentation  to  teach  in  their  host 
community. The EU will support policies and actions that ensure the availability of a trained 
teaching workforce. 

The EU will support special measures, such as  bridging and retention support, to offset the 
challenges  learners  may  experience  when  integrating  into  an  education  system.  Tailored 
responses  for  each  level  of  education  are  required,  based  on  the  age,  sex  and  education 
background of learners. This may include non-formal or alternative forms of education and 
will consider the different needs at each level of education. 

The  integration  of  forcibly  displaced  children  and  young  people  into  national  education 
systems  requires  the  maintenance  of  essential  links  between  language,  identity  and  culture. 
EU expertise in language policies, as exemplified across the EU, will be leveraged through 
policy  dialogue  and  assistance.  This  will  support  the  promotion  of  evidence-based, 
progressive language policies related to the use of mother tongue and additional languages. 

Recognising  the  increasingly  protracted  nature  of  displacement,  and  that  displaced 
populations  are  likely  to  experience  multiple  displacements,  mobility  and  accreditation 
between and within education systems need to be enhanced.40 Lack of documentation should 
not form a barrier to accessing education in a timely manner on arrival for displaced children 
and young people, and protocols need to be established to ensure that the right to education 
takes  precedence  over  any  accreditation  system.  In  particular,  access  to  basic  education 
should  not  be  denied  based  on  examinations.41  Rather,  appropriate  assessment  mechanisms 
should  be  used  to  identify  how  access  and  support  can  be  improved  and  to  inform  policy. 
Equally, all young people need  to  be  able  to  access examinations and gain  the certification 
that is usually the basis for further education opportunities and for employment.  

The EU is committed to inclusive and equitable quality primary and secondary education, and 
understands that foundational skills, such as basic literacy and numeracy skills, are essential 
building blocks for further education. 42  

The  EU  also  recognises  the  importance  of  labour  market  related  Technical  and  Vocational 
Education  and  Training  and  higher  education.43  Skills  development  and  employability 
training  in  crises  need  to  consider  the  economic  and  social  pressures  on  learners,  such  as 

38 COM(2002) 116 Communication on education and training in the context of poverty reduction in developing 

countries 

39 Ibid. 
40 Learning could be applied from the European Commission’s Action Plan on the Integration of Third-Country 
Nationals,  in  which  the  Commission  has  prioritised  support  for  early  assessment,  documentation  and 
recognition of skills and academic and professional qualifications. 

41  This refers  to  examinations to  any  test/examination  that is  associated with  consequences  for  the participant 

(high stakes examinations), such as an entrance examination.  

42 COM(2002) 116 Communication on education and training in the context of poverty reduction in developing 

countries 

43 Ibid. 

10 

 
                                                            
child labour, restricted movement and gender norms. EU commitments to skills development 
and to promoting employability, decent work and livelihoods, emphasise the need to ensure 
equitable opportunities for young women as well as young men and for other disadvantaged 
groups. 

The  EU  will  continue  to  support  dedicated research  and learning  partnerships  to  strengthen 
the  sector's  evidence  base.  In  this  context,  synergies  should  be  sought  with  the  EU 
Framework Programme for research and innovation with a view to addressing effectively the 
challenges of education in emergencies and crisis situations in EU external action.  

Examples of good practice:  

In  Iraq,  the  EU  has  supported  the  reform  of  the  Technical  and  Vocational  Education  and 
Training  system  to  increase  its  competiveness  and  relevance  in  line  with  international 
standards. 

In  2018,  the  EU  launched  the  'Building  Resilience:  Education  Opportunities  in  Fragile  and 
Crisis  Affected  Environments'  initiative.  This  combines  research  and  multi-country 
programming  in  seven  countries  in  Africa  with  funding  of  approximately  EUR  20  million 
over 4 years.  

In  Kenya,  the  EU  has  supported  training  programmes  for  Somali  refugees  to  become 
accredited  teachers  in  the  Kakuma  refugee  camp.  Teachers  used  information  technology  to 
participate in the teacher training curriculum through distance learning. 

Key actions to improve the quality of education:  

  Support  initiatives  to  allow  certification,  mobility,  accreditation,  recognition  and 
transition of displaced children and young people between education systems, and actions 
that  ensure  entry  and  retention  of  children  through  various  formal  and  non-formal 
education pathways;  

  Advocate  for  and  support  education  system  reform,  particularly  curriculum  reform,  to 
adapt  to  changing  needs  in  emergencies  and  protracted  crises,  such  as  expanding  and 
strengthening  the  teaching  workforce  to  meet  the  needs  of  learners  in  emergencies  and 
crises  and  introducing  accelerated  learning  programmes  for  children  who  have  missed 
years of education; 

  Support  actions  that  take  advantage  of  information  technology  and  open  educational 
resources to open access to digital learning and virtual exchange and other innovations; 
  Support  Technical  and  Vocational  Education  and  Training  linked  to  skills  and 
livelihoods, with attention to the specific needs of young women and men, embedded in 
practical learning and relevant to livelihood opportunities;  

  Support  mechanisms  to  share,  update  and  apply  international  standards44  relevant  to 

education in emergencies and crises. 

3. CONCLUSION 

The growing attention to education in emergencies and crises outside the EU in recent years 
reflects  the  alarming  and  increasing  scale  of  the  needs  and  challenges  to  be  met.  This 
Communication  provides  a  holistic  and  effective  policy  framework  for  how  the  EU  can 
advance this agenda and build on its leadership role in this policy domain. This ambition is 
supported by the example of children and young people who overcome adversity to pursue 
their education. 

44  Such  as  the  Inter-Agency  Network  for  Education  in  Emergencies'  Minimum  Standards  for  Education: 
Preparedness, Response, Recovery. 2010 

11 

 
 
                                                            
The  Commission,  with  the  support  of  the  European  External  Action  Service  (EEAS), 
including EU Delegations, will actively engage Member States, other countries, international 
organisations and public and private sector actors, to promote and support more efficient and 
effective cooperation and coordination for more rapid, predictable and sustainable support to 
education in emergencies and protracted crises. In doing so, the Commission services and the 
EEAS will also promote the fulfilment of the objectives of the new European Consensus on 
Development and the Lives in Dignity Communication. The role of Member States is key in 
this respect. 

The Commission invites the European Parliament to take note of the policy orientations set 
out in this Communication and the Council to endorse them through Council Conclusions. 

12