Protecting Education Personnel from Targeted Attack in Conflict-Affected Countries

The paper addresses the scope and nature of attacks on education personnel and the range of measures put in place to protect them. Many of the measures have not been formally evaluated. Additional research is needed to understand the dynamics of attacks on teachers and how to most effectively protect teachers. However, lessons have been drawn from practitioners’ experiences, academic, NGO, and government reports, as well as case study research in the Philippines, included in the paper.

The paper’s priority recommendations include that Governments: Adopt legislation and policies to protect teachers, including from election violence; implement the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict; not employ security forces to protect teachers unless there is a no alternative; enable teachers to return to posts after attacks when it is safe to do so; ensure that education delivery and content is conflict-sensitive; and provide accountability for attacks on education personnel.