Session Overview: Education and Protection

Researching Education and Protection in Humanitarian Emergencies


Global Consultation 2009, Istanbul

Tuesday 31 March, 16:45-18:30: Concurrent Learning Session Block 2

Abstract

This learning session will discuss initial findings and methods used to conduct field research on the relationship between protection and education in humanitarian emergencies and development settings, focusing on Darfur, Afghanistan, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Swaziland and Tanzania.

Safaa El-Kogali, will discuss a 2-year joint Population Council/Women’s Refugee Commission research and advocacy project that seeks to identify measures that make and keep schools safe, as well as factors leading to insecurity in schools that must be addressed, in a diverse range of internally displaced communities in West and North Darfur. Safaa will discuss the project overview, initial findings as well as share some of the challenges in conducting such research in a conflict environment. Dana Burde will present methods, barriers, and findings from her research in Afghanistan. This study uses a randomized trial to examine how community-based schools affect children’s educational outcomes in rural Afghanistan. Professors Dana Burde and Leigh Linden formed a partnership with the US-based nongovernmental organization CRS to implement random assignment of schools and program interventions to eligible villages (where no government schools existed). Based on analysis conducted thus far, the introduction of the community-based schools has had a significant impact on children's participation levels and significantly reduces the existing educational disparities between boys and girls. Stephanie Bengtsson, doctoral student at Teachers College, will discuss a five-country research project for UNICEF, The Learning Plus Initiative: Schools as Centres for Care and Support. In addition to providing an overview of this multi-year project, Stephanie will discuss the development of a research instrument, the Learning Plus Index and child-friendly research methods. In addition to specific findings from these research studies, this session will also address the difficulties (theoretical, organizational and logistical) in conducting research on these topics and collecting data in the field.

The session will include a group discussion for participants to share their experiences in conducting similar research, thoughts on how to use/disseminate research findings and ideas of ways to increase and strengthen these types of studies.

Session Objectives

  • Objective 1: To share methods, findings and challenges in conducting research on education and protection in humanitarian emergencies, post-conflict and development settings.
  • Objective 2: To make the case for the critical importance of rigorous research in complex emergency and post-conflict settings and the need for operational agencies, advocacy organizations and donors to partner with academia.
  • Objective 3: To discuss challenges in conducting research on education and protection, in particular in insecure settings, and potential strategies to address them.


Expected Outcomes

  • Outcome 1: Research design, instruments and methods shared that can contribute to the field of education in emergencies.
  • Outcome 2: Increased understanding of some the benefits and difficulties in conducting research on education and protection, particularly in insecure environments.
  • Outcome 3: Identification of opportunities to disseminate research findings on links between education and protection.


Panel

Chair: Lesley Bartlett, Teachers College, Columbia University

Presenters


For more information regarding this session please contact the Session Coordinator Jenny Perlman Robinson at {encode="jennyP@wrcommission.org" title="jennyP@wrcommission.org"}.

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