Protecting the Right to Education during Crises
Let’s cut to the chase — our education systems are failing in times of crises, and this failure is most acutely felt by the most vulnerable, especially girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s oppressive regime, children in Gaza and Ukraine living amidst bombs, bullets, and destruction, and displaced young people in Sudan and Myanmar. Today we cannot continue to rely on traditional methods of education and expect different results. There is an urgent need today to revolutionize education with innovative learning solutions more than ever before.
Let’s admit — traditional education systems are not built for crises. When schools are bombed, when girls are banned from classrooms, and when young people are displaced, traditional schooling methods fall apart. This is not just a problem; it’s a catastrophe - it’s a generational loss and we need to acknowledge that our old ways are failing and that we need to adapt and innovate.
Adapting Education Systems for Crises
In the 21st century, technology is not anymore a complementary method of education that we might use or not, it is a lifeline for many young people who have been stripped of their basic human right to education. Virtual classrooms, online resources, and digital learning platforms can bridge the gap when physical schools are inaccessible. This is not wishful thinking; it’s a necessity and it’s possible.
In Afghanistan, where the Taliban have banned girls from attending school, we have leveraged technology to bring education to my peers back home. Tablets, smartphones, and internet connections became their new classrooms and window to the future.
We need to think outside the box, and invest in solutions such as mobile learning hubs that can move to different locations, and applications that can be used offline, ensuring that learning continues even when connectivity is an issue. We must explore every possible avenue to ensure that no child is left behind, no matter the circumstances.
The Need for Global Support
I have always heard that local communities know their needs best and the solutions should be tailored that work in specific contexts- I agree! but this is not going to happen in a vacuum, while leaving these communities to come up with everything by themselves just because they know their needs best. For any real change to happen, especially in politically isolated countries, global support is a must— funding, resources, and political backing are all decisive in ensuring the continuity and adaptability of education systems in times of crisis. We have lost generations to these excuses – but for the sake of saving what is left, the international community must step up, not just with words, but with tangible actions and investments.
Prioritising Education for a Better Future
When I had to flee my homeland on the brink of graduation to seek refuge not only for my safety but also for my education, I realized that education is not just about academics; it’s also about emotional and psychological support. It’s about hope - for the children and youth in crisis zones who are dealing with trauma; it’s like a promise that there exists a brighter future at the end of the tunnel.
I’m frustrated because I am repeating the same thing on every single platform. I am frustrated because I know this is a solvable problem, yet it persists not because we don’t have the technology, the knowledge, the creativity, and the resources, but due to the lack of political will. What we lack is the urgency and commitment and the policymakers and institutions will never find this urgency unless they look at education as a humanitarian need rather than a development project. This needs to change — education is a humanitarian need and basic human right just like food shelter and water. We must push for policies that prioritize educational access in crisis situations. We must fund programs that provide technological solutions that can sustain beyond physical infrastructures.
What we are fighting for is not just about access to education; it's about human dignity and the right to a better life. Children in Gaza have dreams. Afghan girls have aspirations. And the millions of displaced young people from Sudan to Myanmar to Ukraine have so much potential, but they're being denied the chance to realize any of it. And what are we doing? Offering empty words while futures are destroyed.
We have to rally to ensure that children in Palestine and other conflict-affected regions can dream of a peaceful future, and girls in Afghanistan can confidently walk back into their classrooms, heads held high, and ready to learn and thrive.
It’s time to stand on the right side of history for the millions of children and young people in crises, because, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Adapted from a speech presented by the author at the side event on Scaling Solutions for Learning Continuity in Crisis
on 5 June 2024 at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Board Meetings held in Berlin, Germany.
Aisha Khurram is the former Afghan Youth Representative to the UN. She was pursuing her undergraduate studies in the department of law and political science at Kabul University. She had one month to graduate when the Afghan government collapsed in August 2021.
After the Taliban takeover, she left Afghanistan and has been living in Germany since then. Aisha received two scholarships from Gerda Henkel Stiftung and Bard College Berlin, where she recently finished her undergraduate degree in Humanities.
As a peace activist in Afghanistan, Aisha advocated for the meaningful participation of Afghan youth in the Afghan peace process by co -founding national youth consensus for peace and being a member of young female peace mediator initiative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Afghanistan.
She is the recipient of the Open Society University Network’s Civic Engagement fellowship. In February 2022 she started her advocacy efforts for Afghan girls’ right to education together with the network of former youth delegates to the UN. Their advocacy efforts led to the establishment of an E-learning platform with the support of UNESCO office in Afghanistan through which Afghan girls are provided with online accredited degree courses to continue and complete their higher education. She also served as the steering committee member of the Global Students Forum and has been voluntarily working as the regional leader of Tertiary students’ Network since February 2022.