Education Inequality and Violent Conflict: Evidence and Policy Considerations
Key findings from The Effects of Armed Conflict on Educational Attainment and Inequality are summarized in this four-pager. Based on the quantitative evidence that rising inequalities in education can increase the risk of conflict, and consequently, experiencing conflict can exacerbate preexisting education inequality, the policy brief urges for greater attention to equity in education, particularly in conflict-affected and fragile settings. Specifically:
- Investment in equitable education opportunity across ethnic, religious, wealth, and gender groups, as well as across individuals, may be key to a country’s risk of (re)lapsing into conflict.
- Continued service provision during violence, particularly to disadvantaged groups, may be an essential element of peacebuilding in the wake of conflict.