Online Forum on Planning and Preparedness
for Education in Emergencies

Core Reading

Capacity development in education planning and management in fragile states. Bethke, L. 2009. Paris: UNESCO-IIEP. (PDF)

Donor’s Engagement – Supporting education in fragile and conflict-affected states Brannelly L., Ndaruhutse S. and Rigaud C. 2009. Paris : UNESCO-IIEP. (PDF)

Link to summary of Policy Brief >

Rebuilding resilience. The education challenge

IIEP Newsletter, Volume XXVII, No. 1 (Revised), January-April 2009 (PDF)


Operating in Insecure Environments DFID Comptroller and Auditor General, 2008, Department for International Development: DFID: London, UK. (PDF)

Participant contributions

Send us an article or relevant material for Week 2 discussion.

To read documents sent, please click here.

Interactive Google Map showing participant contributions, courtesy of Garry de la Pomerai


As part of the web Focus on Education in Emergencies, the Institute has organized a two-week online discussion forum on some current issues in planning for education in emergencies. In Week 1 participants shared ideas and experiences on the differences between planning and preparedness for natural disasters and conflict mitigation and the processes used to integrate it within the education system. Topics discussed included providing teacher training on preparedness, integrating such topics into the curricula, and raising awareness within the community. Week 2’s discussion brought out some of the challenges to mainstreaming preparedness measures into education sector plans, and in gaining high level engagement on emergency issues. Participants suggested raising more awareness at the central, district and community levels, by discussing the rationale and added value of emergency preparedness with officials. They also highlighted the importance of improving cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration through mechanisms such as the Education Cluster, as ways forward.

Week 1 Highlights (14-18 June)

Week 1’s discussion raised some of the following questions:

  • What are the challenges that arise when trying to include the community in preparedness (through school committees for example)?
  • What type of indicators of disasters or conflicts need to be developed, and how can they to be incorporated into an education plan?
  • What about new technologies, such as GPS mapping? Are these increasingly being used to identify types of risks, either man made (poverty, marginalization) or natural? How can these be used for educational planning?
  • Have other participants heard of “conflict mitigation” programmes such as the example from Southern Sudan who have integrated demobilized military officers into public administrations (namely education planning)?

Click here for week 1 highlights.  

Week 2 Highlights (21-25 June)

Week 2’s discussion raised some of the following questions:

  • How can we provide education equitably in order to help mitigate conflict? For example, what measures (providing additional equipment/facilities/staffing to schools) could preferentially benefit neglected areas? 
  • What is the role of donors in DRR/CRR? How can sufficient funding for preparedness and conflict mitigation be secured?
  • What indicators of potential conflict can be identified and used to monitor situations to ensure that existing tensions are not exacerbated ? Are there examples where such information has been collected?  
  • Is there adequate political and societal will to confront challenges in society without resorting to violence and hence plan for natural disasters and conflict mitigation in all sectors?

Click here for Week 2 highlights.

Click here for a table summarizing participant experiences that were discussed during the forum. Please feel free to send us further suggestions or comments to add to the table. 

Links