Rebuilding education systems after conflict

Overview

Context and urgency of rebuilding

Conflicts disrupt every layer of education, from school facilities to the routines of daily learning. When classrooms are damaged, teachers displaced, and families forced to flee, children lose essential analogs of safety, consistency, and achievement. Rebuilding is not merely a construction task; it is a strategic effort to restore trust, protect learners, and reestablish the social contract that underpins future stability. The urgency is compounded by ongoing vulnerabilities, such as displaced communities, interrupted literacy and numeracy trajectories, and the risk of long-term lost generations if learning does not resume promptly.

In this context, quickly restoring access to learning becomes a priority alongside designing safer schools and more resilient systems. Effective rebuilding requires coordinated action among governments, communities, and development partners. It also means recognizing that education is a public good that supports peace, economic recovery, and social cohesion years after the guns fall silent.

Beyond infrastructure, the focus is on creating learning environments that are protective, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all students. This includes attention to the safety of learners and educators, the continuity of care for vulnerable groups, and the alignment of education with the realities of post-conflict life. Rebuilding, therefore, is a platform for rebuilding trust and shaping a more just and durable future.

Key goals for post-conflict education

The post-conflict education agenda centers on several interconnected goals. First, ensure safe, equitable access to learning for all children and youth, including those who are internally displaced or out of school. Second, restore the quality and relevance of learning through curricula that reflect local needs, workforce demands, and cultural context. Third, protect and support educators as essential drivers of stability, learning, and community resilience. Fourth, establish resilient systems capable of withstanding future shocks, including health crises and climate risks. Fifth, use data and inclusive planning to monitor progress, close gaps, and rebuild trust between schools, families, and communities.

To translate these goals into action, planners should integrate short-term recovery with longer-term development, ensuring that immediate restoration does not come at the expense of sustainable reform. A balanced approach also emphasizes gender parity, inclusive education, and the participation of learners, parents, teachers, and civil society in shaping priorities.

• Safe and welcoming learning environments for all students
• Curricula that are relevant, flexible, and competency-based
• Strong support systems for teachers and school leaders
• Transparent financing and accountable governance

Governance and Policy

Leadership and coordination mechanisms

Effective governance hinges on clear leadership, cross-sector coordination, and inclusive decision-making. Establishing a high-level steering body that includes the Ministry of Education, local authorities, teacher associations, student representatives, parents, and development partners helps align priorities and accelerate action. Strong coordination reduces duplicate efforts, streamlines procurement, and ensures that health, protection, and education responses are integrated rather than siloed.

Regular planning cycles, joint monitoring, and shared dashboards allow for timely course corrections. Where possible, decentralize authority to empower district and school managers to adapt plans to local conditions while maintaining national standards. Transparent communication channels with communities build legitimacy and momentum for reconstruction actions.

Policy alignment with national development plans

Rebuilding education should be embedded in broader national development plans and recovery frameworks. Aligning sector priorities with economic revival, labor market needs, and social protection aims ensures that education contributes to long-term resilience. Policy alignment reduces policy churn, clarifies funding flows, and reinforces the legitimacy of reforms in the eyes of citizens and international partners. It also supports harmonized indicators, enabling consistent measurement across agencies and partners.

Linking education policies to safeguarding, health, and social inclusion ensures a holistic approach to recovery. When education is positioned within a coherent national strategy, schools become anchors of peace, continuity, and shared identity during fragile periods.

Financing and Resource Mobilization

Budgeting for reconstruction

Reconstruction budgeting requires a multi-year lens that captures immediate needs and future maintenance. It should include realistic cost estimates for school construction or rehabilitation, learning materials, teacher salaries, student support services, and safety upgrades. Contingency reserves help address unforeseen shocks and price volatility, while transparent procurement practices prevent corruption and delays.

Budgeting should also account for operation and maintenance costs that sustain facilities, WASH services, and information systems. Integrating education financing with social protection or health budgets can unlock complementary funding streams and reduce mid-course gaps. Strong budgeting practices create predictability, which is crucial for contractors, suppliers, and educators planning for a return to learning.

Diversifying funding sources

Financial resilience hinges on diversifying sources beyond domestic budgets. International donors, development banks, and regional financing facilities can provide critical capital for rebuilding, while public-private partnerships may unlock innovative approaches to space utilization and digital learning. Domestic resource mobilization—such as tax reforms or earmarked education funds—ensures long-term sustainability and local stewardship. Donor coordination mechanisms minimize fragmentation and maximize the impact of each contribution.

Transparent budgeting and expenditure reporting build trust with communities and partners. Involving school communities in prioritization and monitoring helps ensure that funds address real needs and reduce inefficiencies. Diversified funding should come with strong safeguards to ensure that resources reach the classrooms where they are most needed.

Infrastructure and Safe Learning Environments

School reconstruction and safety standards

Rebuilding schools involves rigorous safety standards, including structural integrity, fire safety, and secure, accessible access routes. Reconstruction should use disaster-resistant designs and local materials when appropriate, supported by professional assessments and independent oversight. Safe environments must extend beyond physical structures to include secure school grounds, well-lit facilities, and reliable student transport options in conflict-affected areas.

Quality control is essential: temporary learning spaces should meet minimum standards and transition plans should define timelines for replacing them with permanent facilities. Maintenance plans and supply chains for safe classrooms are needed to prevent rapid degradation once children return to school. A focus on safety signals a clear commitment to protecting learners and staff as they resume education activities.

WASH facilities and safe spaces

Water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities are foundational to school health and attendance. Rebuilding should ensure reliable access to clean water, functional toilets with privacy, and handwashing stations with soap. Safe spaces—both physical and psychosocial—help students and teachers cope with trauma, reduce anxiety, and foster a sense of belonging within schools.

Inclusive design matters: facilities should be accessible to students with disabilities, and schools should implement gender-responsive arrangements to support girls’ continued enrollment and safety. Integrating WASH into broader health and nutrition programs strengthens overall well-being and learning readiness.

Learning Continuity and Curriculum Reform

Transitional curricula

Transitional curricula bridge learning gaps caused by displacement and disruption. They emphasize core competencies in literacy and numeracy while integrating context-specific knowledge that remains relevant to students’ lives and future opportunities. Flexible pacing, modular content, and the use of diagnostic tools help teachers tailor instruction to varying levels of need and prior learning.

During transitions, schools should maintain consistent timetables, minimize repetition where possible, and provide catch-up opportunities through after-school programs or weekend sessions. The goal is to restore confidence in the education system while gradually reintroducing more comprehensive standards and assessments.

Assessment and learning recovery

Assessment strategies should focus on learning recovery and progress rather than solely on summative outcomes. Diagnostic assessments can identify gaps, monitor recovery, and guide targeted interventions. Regular feedback loops involving students, parents, and teachers help measure effectiveness and adjust teaching approaches. Data-informed decisions enable schools to allocate resources efficiently and demonstrate accountability to communities and partners.

Equity-focused assessment practices ensure that marginalized groups receive appropriate support and that progress is tracked for all students, including those with disabilities or from non-dominant linguistic or cultural backgrounds. When assessments are fair and transparent, they reinforce trust in the education system and motivate learners to re-engage with school.

Teacher Capacity and Support

Recruitment, training, and retention

A robust teacher pipeline is essential to rebuilding quality education. Recruitment efforts should prioritize shortages in critical subjects, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as in early childhood and special education. Pre-service training must emphasize trauma-informed pedagogy, inclusive practices, and safety standards. In-service professional development should be ongoing, practical, and adapted to the realities of post-conflict classrooms.

Retention strategies include safe working conditions, fair compensation, career development opportunities, and recognition of teachers’ pivotal role in community rebuilding. Mentorship programs and peer networks can reduce isolation and build professional communities that sustain motivation and innovation.

Psychosocial support for educators

Educators often carry secondary trauma in post-conflict settings. Access to psychosocial support, mental health resources, and peer support groups helps teachers cope with stress and maintain effective classroom leadership. Counseling services, teacher wellness days, and inclusive school cultures contribute to more stable and productive learning environments.

School leaders should model supportive practices, encourage reflective teaching, and provide space for teachers to share challenges and successes. When educators feel cared for, they are better able to engage students, manage classrooms, and foster resilience across the school community.

Equity and Inclusion

Gender parity and inclusive education

Equity requires deliberate actions to close gender gaps and ensure that girls, boys, and those of diverse gender identities have equal opportunities to learn. This includes addressing safety concerns, ensuring restrooms and changing facilities are usable and secure, providing flexible scheduling when needed, and promoting gender-responsive pedagogy. Inclusive practices extend to language, cultural relevance, and accessible materials that reflect diverse student experiences.

Policy measures should monitor enrollment, retention, and outcomes by gender, with targeted outreach to families at risk of withdrawing children from school. Community engagement helps schools understand barriers and co-create solutions that support continued participation in learning for all students.

Support for children with disabilities and marginalized groups

Education systems must actively remove accessibility barriers and provide appropriate supports for children with disabilities. This includes accessible facilities, assistive technologies, tailored materials, and trained staff who can deliver inclusive instruction. Outreach programs should reach marginalized groups—ethnic minorities, internally displaced persons, refugees, and children in hard-to-reach areas—ensuring that no child is left behind.

Inclusive education emphasizes the value of diverse learning needs and the role of family and community in supporting student progress. When schools are truly inclusive, they become spaces where all children can participate, learn, and contribute to their communities.

Community Engagement and Governance

Community participation in planning

Active community participation strengthens legitimacy and aligns rebuilding efforts with local realities. Mechanisms such as school councils, parent-teacher associations, and community design workshops give local voices a formal role in budgeting, prioritization, and monitoring. This participation helps ensure that reconstruction respects cultural norms, protects vulnerable groups, and addresses practical needs on the ground.

Transparent communication about decisions and timelines builds trust and reduces resistance to change. When communities see concrete improvements—new classrooms, safer routes, or enhanced learning opportunities—they become partners in sustaining momentum.

Local governance and accountability

Local governance structures should own implementation where possible, backed by national standards and oversight. Community scorecards, town-hall briefings, and participatory audits can improve accountability and adjust actions to reflect outcomes. Clear roles and responsibilities across school boards, municipalities, and national agencies minimize overlaps and gaps, making the trust-building process more efficient.

Accountability also includes safeguarding funds and ensuring that results are publicly reported. When communities can track progress and outcomes, they can advocate for continued investment and improvements in a timely manner.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountability

Data systems and indicators

Data systems must capture baseline conditions, track progress, and inform corrective actions. Key indicators include enrollment and attendance, learning outcomes, safety incidents, teacher deployment, and resource allocation. Real-time or near-real-time data supports rapid responses to emerging gaps and helps prevent backsliding during difficult periods.

Interoperability between education data and other sector data (health, protection, labor) enables holistic views of student well-being and system resilience. Data privacy and protection are essential, particularly for vulnerable populations and displaced children.

Transparency and performance reporting

Public reporting of budgets, procurement, learned outcomes, and progress against targets enhances accountability and trust. Independent evaluations, third-party audits, and community feedback mechanisms should verify claims and identify areas for improvement. Transparent reporting also helps attract and retain support from donors and partners by demonstrating measurable impact.

Regular review cycles with clear corrective actions create a culture of learning within the system itself, reinforcing continuous improvement as a core principle of rebuilding efforts.

Implementation Roadmap

Phased timelines and sequencing

A practical roadmap divides work into phases: stabilization and rapid access to learning, reconstruction of infrastructure and safety systems, curriculum reform and teacher capacity building, and long-term resilience and inclusion. Clear sequencing avoids bottlenecks and ensures that foundational elements—safe spaces, functioning schools, and reliable data—are in place before more advanced reforms are introduced.

Each phase should include concrete milestones, responsible actors, and resource requirements. Flexibility is essential to adapt to evolving security conditions, funding flows, and community priorities.

Risk management and mitigation

Rebuilding in post-conflict contexts carries risks—from renewed violence to funding shortfalls and governance gaps. A robust risk management plan identifies potential threats, assigns ownership for mitigation, and sets triggers for action. Contingency planning—such as alternate learning modalities, emergency school closures protocols, or rapid deployment of temporary learning spaces—helps minimize disruption when shocks occur.

Mitigation also requires ongoing engagement with communities to rebuild trust and identify early warning signs of instability. Proactive stakeholder coordination reduces the likelihood that education sector setbacks derail broader reconstruction efforts.

Trusted Source Insight

UNESCO key takeaway

UNESCO emphasizes safe, inclusive, and resilient schooling in post-conflict settings, stressing protection for learners and educators and rapid restoration of access to learning. It also highlights the need for data-informed planning, curriculum relevance, and community participation to rebuild trust and ensure learning continuity. For more details, visit UNESCO.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Actionable steps for policymakers

Policymakers should begin with a defensible, integrated recovery plan that outlines immediate actions, responsible agencies, and funding sources. Priorities include restoring safe access to classrooms, establishing transitional curricula, and rebuilding teaching capacity through targeted recruitment and professional development. Create inclusive policies that guarantee gender equality, accessibility, and protection for all learners, while embedding robust data systems to monitor progress and inform decisions.

Engage communities from the outset with transparent planning and regular feedback loops. Align education objectives with national development goals to secure sustained funding and political support. Finally, institutionalize learning from the recovery process so that reforms endure beyond the tail end of a conflict or crisis.

How to sustain momentum

Sustaining momentum requires continuous investment, adaptive planning, and strong governance. Maintain multi-year financing commitments, safeguard school infrastructure, and ensure that teachers receive ongoing support. Institutionalize data-driven planning, monitor equity and inclusion outcomes, and celebrate milestones with communities to reinforce trust. By weaving education resilience into the fabric of national recovery, countries can transform the challenges of conflict into durable gains for future generations.