International Institute for Educational Planning Summer School: Rebuilding resilience: planning education in “fragile contexts”

Paris, 17 July

UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) 2009 Summer School is focused this year on education in conflict and crisis situations. Its workshops, presentations and panel discussions will be held from 20 to 31 July in Paris.

Despite pledges from donors and governments to assist developing countries in achieving the Millennium Development and Education for All goals, countries affected by conflict and fragility receive the least support for education from donors and consequently remain the furthest away from reaching these goals.

The IIEP 2009 Summer School aims to increase participants’ knowledge of effective mechanisms for delivering education in countries affected by conflict and crisis, often referred to as “fragile contexts”. Participants will come from countries around the world including many from ‘fragile contexts’ and will have the opportunity to question leading experts in the field of education and fragility. They will also be able to share their own experience and use existing tools to examine the relationship between education, fragility and resilience.

Several events will take place during the Summer School. On Friday 24 July at 5.00 p.m., there will be an exhibition of art by children from conflict-affected situations. On Monday 27 July, a series of IIEP research publications on “Education in conflict, emergencies, reconstruction and fragile states” will be launched at 5.30 p.m.

The use of technology in education in emergencies is also on the agenda with guest speaker Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University (UK). The “Hole in the Wall” project he founded gives marginalised children around the world a different way of learning through internet access; it inspired the novel that became the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Of the 75 million children currently out of school, over half are living in situations of conflict or fragility. Unless urgent action is taken, the prospect for these children is likely to worsen in the wake of the current financial and global crises. The IIEP Summer School is a step towards maintaining momentum for encouraging resilience in the education sector. It is essential that member states, donors and government representatives also continue to lobby for education for children living in situations of conflict or fragility.

• Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
• Source:Media Advisory No. 2009 – 42
• 18-07-2009