Protecting Education from Attack

Attacks on education are any intentional threat or use of force carried out by state or non-state armed groups for political, military, ideological, sectarian, ethnic, religious, or criminal reasons against students, educators, or education personnel while going to or coming from an education institution or elsewhere because of their status as students or educators. Includes abduction, recruitment of child soldiers, forced labor, sexual violence, targeted killings, threats and harassment, and other violations. Actual and threatened looting, seizure, occupation, closure, and demolition of educational property by armed groups may displace educators and students, denying students access to education. Attacks on education occur at all levels of the education system, from pre-school to higher education.

Attacks on education violate the right to education and other internationally protected human rights applicable at all times. During situations of armed conflict, attacks on education may violate international humanitarian and criminal law and constitute war crimes.

Attacks on students, educators, and education institutions can have a devastating impact on access to education and education systems and on a society’s overall development in the long term. Documented impacts in affected countries have included death, injury, and destruction, decline in attendance, teacher flight and decline in education quality, temporary or permanent school closure, disproportionate impact on girls and excluded groups, impacts of military use of schools, long-term decline in access to education, weakened education systems, and impacts on development.

Schools and universities should be safe havens where students and educators can work toward a better future.

Key Messages

In 2022 and 2023, there were around 6,000 reported attacks on education and incidents of military use of schools and universities, harming more than 10,000 students and educators globally. Attacks on education and military use increased by nearly 20% in 2022 and 2023 compared to the two previous years.
From 2017 to 2023, over 2,000 attacks on education and incidents of military use of educational facilities have been reported per year, except in 2019 when attacks dipped below that threshold.
In 2022 and 2023, there were reports of attacks on education in 79 countries and over 1,000 reports of military use of schools in 30 countries.
The Safe Schools Declaration outlines a set of commitments to strengthen the protection of education from attack and restrict use of schools and universities for military purposes. It seeks to ensure the continuity of safe education during armed conflict. To date, 120 states around the world have joined this international political agreement.
States and international justice institutions should promptly and impartially investigate attacks on education and prosecute those responsible.
Where feasible, states should maintain safe access to education during armed conflict, including by working with school and university communities and all other relevant stakeholders to develop gender- and disability-responsive strategies to reduce the risk of attacks, and comprehensive safety and security plans in the event of these attacks.

20 June 2024 Report Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Education Under Attack 2024

A global study of attacks on schools, universities, their students and staff, in 2022 and 2023. Attacks on education are frequent and widespread. From Palestine to Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ukraine, students and teachers are killed, raped, and abducted, while schools and universities are bombed, burned down, and used for military purposes. In the 28 countries profiled in this report, at least ten attacks on education occurred over the past two years.

1 May 2015 Convention/Declaration Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Safe Schools Declaration

The Safe Schools Declaration is an inter-governmental political commitment that provides countries the opportunity to express support for protecting education from attack during times of armed conflict; the importance of the continuation of education during war; and the implementation of concrete measures to deter the military use of schools.

1 January 2017 Report Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

The Safe Schools Declaration: a Framework for Action

This Framework for Action seeks to provide governments with a non-exhaustive list of suggestions, recommendations, and examples that can assist them as they determine the appropriate way to implement the commitments made through endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration.

14 November 2024 Brief Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Protecting Education from Attack in the Context of Climate Change

This briefing paper argues that the risks and impacts of climate change are critical to consider within any effort to prevent, mitigate, or respond to attacks on education. In the face of these converging crises, states should act urgently to protect education in the context of climate change.

1 January 2014 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict

The Guidelines were drawn up with the aim of better protecting schools and universities from use by armed groups for military purposes, and to minimise the negative impact that armed conflict has on students’ safety and education. They provide concrete guidance to states and non-state armed groups for the planning and execution of military operations.

1 January 2023 Toolkit Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Toolkit for Collecting and Analyzing Data on Attacks on Education

This toolkit enables partners to build or strengthen monitoring systems; collect robust data and analyze and report on the impacts of attacks; harmonize definitions; and develop more effective attack prevention and mitigation plans.

1 September 2023 Background Paper Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Non-State Armed Groups and Attacks on Education: Exploring Trends and Practices to Curb Violations

This scoping paper provides background on the topic and explores global trends in non-state armed group attacks on education. This paper also highlights various practices and policies, from the community to international levels, to curb non-state armed group attacks on education and use of schools and universities for non-educational purposes.

1 January 2017 Toolkit Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Implementing the Guidelines: A Toolkit to Guide Understanding and Implementation of the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use During Armed Conflict

The Toolkit intends to inculcate deeper respect for, and protection of, educational facilities into military training, planning and ethos.

21 February 2024 Report

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Protecting and Ensuring Safe Access to education: The ICRC’s Experience and Approach in Armed Conflict and Other Situations of Violence

This report provides an overview of what the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) does to protect and ensure safe access to education in places affected by armed conflict and other violence.

1 January 2016 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Guide to Implementing the Principles of State Responsibility to Protect Higher Education from Attack

In response to a growing crisis of attacks on higher education communities worldwide, GCPEA conducted a wide-ranging consultation with representatives of higher education networks and associations from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas to understand the causes and consequences of such attacks and to identify measures to increase protection.

15 July 2014 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

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.

1 October 2021 Report Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Protecting Schools from Military Use: Law, Policy and Military Doctrine

This report collects recent and historic examples of laws, court decisions, military orders, policies, and practice by governments, armed forces, non-state armed groups, and courts aimed at protecting schools and universities from use for military purposes.

1 January 2017 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Technical Guide: What Teachers and School Administrators Can Do to Protect Education from Attack

This document extracts from the “What Schools Can Do to Protect Education from Attack” report in order to serve as a technical guide for ministries of education, local education officials, communities, NGOs, and international agencies seeking to develop localized templates on actions that school-based actors can take to protect schools, students, and teachers from attack.

1 December 2018 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

What Can be Done to Better Protect Women and Girls from Attacks on Education and Military Use of Education

The following is a set of recommendations for states to consider when seeking to implement each commitment within the Safe Schools Declaration in a way that will better protect women and girls.

15 December 2015 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

What Ministries Can Do to Protect Education from Attack and Schools from Military Use: A Menu of Actions

This Menu of Actions is intended as a resource to empower personnel of ministries responsible for education to better prevent attacks on education or protect schools from military use, mitigate the impact of attacks when they do occur, and respond to attacks.

1 January 2014 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict

1 September 2016 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

What Schools Can Do to Protect Education from Attack and Military Use

The paper describes what is actually being done in the field at the school-level to protect education from attack, identifying the risks and challenges involved, and drawing out lessons learned from these measures as well as other literature on the topic

1 March 2023 Manual/Handbook/Guide Global Coalition to Protection Education from Attack (GCPEA)

Identify and Reduce Risks Related to Attacks on Education

This guidance introduces a conceptual framework for risk identification and reduction in contexts with attacks on education.