Education

• Disasters hit some populations harder than others, but children and youth are typically among the most vulnerable. Natural disasters can separate families and related trauma can heavily disrupt childhood development. When it comes to complex humanitarian emergencies, according to UNHCR, almost half of the world’s forcibly displaced people are children. While displaced, if out of school, they miss key protection from abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation and other detriments.
• Education is essential for both genders, but efforts to reach girls are especially important. UNESCO Institute for Statistics reports girls are more likely to be out of school than boys. Without schooling, girls are more likely to be illiterate and unprepared for future life challenges—including work opportunities and chances for a better existence.
• Education is closely linked to many other components of humanitarian response, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection, camp management, shelter, and health. It was not one of the original nine thematic clusters established by the United Nations in 2005, but was added at a later date with UNICEF and Save the Children as agency leads. For a comprehensive response, educational efforts must be included in disaster risk reduction strategies, post-disaster rapid assessments and funding.
• It is not enough that education is present for disaster-affected children. Emphasis also must be placed on the quality and relevancy of the educational offerings. These offerings can make all the difference in a community’s ability to recover today — and to overcome poverty, illness, inequality and lack of participation tomorrow.
• Children from families with resources/connections may access school, leaving others behind. After a disaster, a family with wealth may try to send their child to a private school to ensure education is not delayed. Similarly, when families have relatives in an unaffected area, children may be sent to live with them. Schools in Florida took in thousands of students from Puerto Rico — 2,000 in Orlando alone.

• Advocate for greater inclusion of education in humanitarian response and back it up with funding. These efforts must also include education for those with physical and developmental disabilities.
• Support efforts to involve children in disaster preparedness and planning. Participation in planning can give them an added sense of security, comfort and confidence, if and when a disaster occurs.
• Pre-position educational supplies in disaster-prone areas. Include for example, textbooks, early childhood development kits, recreational activities and school-in-a-box kits.
• Strengthen local partnerships. Shore up the capacity of those already working in education in disaster-prone areas; they will have the most accurate portrait of what is needed, should disaster strike.
• Train educators and administrators in the assessment and management of risk factors, in addition to methods of offering psychosocial support. The school setting offers a rich opportunity for ongoing assessments.
• Post-disaster, support the construction of temporary learning spaces. These should incorporate standards for appropriate lighting, size, etc., to disrupt the learning process as little as possible.
• Invest in the design and building of educational structures that can better withstand the elements and provide shelter and protection in disaster-prone areas. Studies of the effects of previous disasters and implementation of best practices can help schools maintain their status as community hubs and safe places for all.
• Teach disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies. People of all ages can lend a hand in mitigating the effects of disaster.
• Support the development and implementation of early warning systems in disaster-prone areas. The more warning, the more time to prepare—and the better the long-term outcome.
• Develop effective school-based response plans. Include disaster drills and safety assessments.

1. In many cases, donors still do not specifically fund education in the context of disasters. What has increased, however, is the use of schools to deliver other risk reduction initiatives. Much work is still to be done in highlight the importance of education for the world’s disaster-affected communities both today and tomorrow.

   A few efforts in recent years include:

   • In 2018, the Carnegie Corporation of New York provided $150,000 to the American University of Puerto Rico Inc. for a work-study program and a web-supported education project in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
   • In 2017, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee gave Mouvman Peyizan Papay in Haiti $50,000 to continue construction of a school in the locality of Colladere to serve the victims of the earthquake who live in the Eco-Villages, as well as children from other localities, ultimately helping more kids living in the Eco Village have access to better quality education.
   • In 2016 the Google Foundation gave $5.3 million to NetHope for 25,000 Chromebooks, low-cost laptops that can be set up with education and language-learning apps running in the cloud.
   • The General Motors Foundation gave $3 million to United Way of Flint and Genesee County in 2016, in part, to support the educational needs of children affected by lead-contaminated water.
   • In 2017, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation gave $500,000 to the Save the Children Federation to support educational interventions for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.

• INEE (International Network for Education in Emergencies) Minimum Standards
• Background for the UN General Assembly: Education in Emergencies
• UN General Assembly Thematic Debate: Education in Emergencies
• Integrating Quality Education With Humanitarian Response For Humanitarian Accountability: The Sphere-INEE Companionship
• Children on the Frontline
• INEE – Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response and Recovery
• UNESCO – Costs and Benefits of Different Approaches to Measuring Learning Proficiency of Students
• UNESCO – eAtlas for Education 2030
• Wilson Center: Education in the Wake of Natural Disaster

(Photo: Tech. Sgt. Amanda Given, Air Force Civil Engineer Center emergency management officer, leads interactive exercises at Springfield Elementary School in Bay County, Florida, to teach students how to prepare for natural and man-made disasters. Source: U.S. Air Force photo by Brian Goddin)