What ministries can do to protect education from attack and schools from military use: a menus of actions
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Pakistani Taliban’s attack on Army Public School in northwestern Pakistan that left at least 145 people dead, including 132 children, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) released the report, What Ministries Can Do to Protect Education from Attack and Schools from Military Use: A Menu of Actions. The 54 page report details concrete measures that government ministries responsible for education can take to keep schools and universities safe, even in situations of conflict and insecurity. The report calls on ministries to take seven key actions to protect education: analyze the situation and monitor attacks; secure schools; ensure education continuity; support communities in protecting education; be conflict sensitive; systematize education protection in ministries’ administrative and operational processes; and advocate with other government bodies to support protective measures, including state endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration and implementation of the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.