Reshaping the Future: Education and Post-Conflict Reconstruction

by Peter Buckland

Overview

The aim of 'Reshaping the Future' is to draw international attention to the key role that education can play in both preventing conflict and in reconstructing post-conflict societies. The author also hopes to alert developing countries and donors alike to the devastating consequences of conflict on a country's education systems and outcomes, as well to emphasize the importance of maximizing the opportunities to reform education systems presented by a reconstruction setting, adopting a long-term development perspective, and emphasizing equity and quality in the delivery of education services. Every education system has the potential to exacerbate the conditions that contribute to violent conflict. Based on this notion, the author argues that education warrants high priority in both humanitarian response and post-conflict reconstruction. The central message of this book is that education plays key role in both conflict prevention and in the reconstruction of post-conflict societies. It highlights significant findings on education and post-conflict reconstruction drawn from thorough research and literature review, a survey and database of key indicators for 52 conflict-affected countries, and a review of 12 country studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780821359594
Publisher:	World Bank Publications
Publication date:	10/15/2004
Pages:	116
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.04(h) x 0.31(d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	ix
	Foreword	xi
	Acronyms and Abbreviations	xiii
	Executive Summary	xv
1	Introduction	1
	Relationship between Conflict and Poverty	2
	Relationship between Education and Conflict	2
	The Present Study	3
2	Conflict, Poverty, and Education	7
	Factors Affecting Conflict Risk	8
	Characteristics of Resilience to Conflict	11
3	The Impact of Conflict on Education	13
	Destructive Effects of Conflict	16
	Surprising Resilience of Educational Systems	21
	Postconflict Reconstruction Conundrum	25
4	Preliminary Lessons	29
	Key Factors	29
	Key Principles	30
	Conflict Analysis	32
	Operating Environment	34
	Sequencing Interventions	35
	Leveraging Interim Arrangements and Transitional Mechanisms	36
	Prioritizing within a System-wide Approach	37
	Building on Existing Initiatives	37
	Demonstrating Early and Visible Impact	38
	Encouraging Community Involvement	38
	Early Initiation of Technical and Capacity-building Work	39
	Building Effective Partnerships	39
5	Promising Directions in System Reconstruction	41
	Sector Assessment	41
	Challenges for Decentralization	42
	Education Access	46
	Quality Improvement	47
	Qualified Teachers	49
	Curriculum Issues	52
	Financing and Governance	54
	Specific Postconflict Challenges	57
6	Neglected Issues	63
	Sectoral Imbalance	63
	Challenges of Interagency Coordination	64
	Refugees and Internally Displaced Populations	66
	Youth and Adult Education	68
	Interlinked Initiatives	71
	The Role of Private Education	71
7	A Role for the World Bank	75
	Deployment of Bank Resources	76
	Neglected Areas of Youth and Secondary Education	81
8	Concluding Comments	85
	Index	87
	Boxes
4.1	Sinclair's Principles of Emergency Education	31
5.1	Summary of Key Lessons from Central America	43
6.1	Strategies that Address Youth Unemployment and Exclusion	72
	Figures
3.1	Burundi: Gross Enrollment Rate, 1988-1999	17
3.2	Burundi: Net Enrollment Rate, 1990-2000	21
3.3	Gross Enrollment Rates and Conflict	22
3.4	Enrollment Trends in Rwanda, 1970-2001	24
3.5	Enrollment Trends in Timor Leste, 1976-2001	24
4.1	The Education Reconstruction Continuum	35
5.1	Timor Leste Enrollment Poverty Gap, 2001	47
5.2	Education Expenditure as Percentage of Gross Domestic Product	55
6.1	United Nations Coordination Mechanisms Affecting Education Reconstruction	65
	Tables
3.1	Refugee Populations above 200,000 Located within Same Region as Country of Origin	15
3.2	Schools Requiring Repair or Reconstruction after Conflict	17
7.1	Analysis of World Bank Loan and Grant Education Expenditure (Completed and Active) in 21 Conflict-Affected Countries, 1994-2002	77