Julia Paulson

Educational Transfer in Situations Affected by Conflict: towards a common research endeavour

This article argues that the field of education and conflict is, in many ways, ‘stuck in its emergence’ because it has yet to develop common theoretical understandings, useful analytical tools, and shared conceptual frameworks to unify and sustain a mutual endeavour by scholars working on a diverse range of topics and cases. In a curious, tentative and collaborative way, therefore, this article seeks to explore potential solutions to this problem by searching for common ground between the fields of education and conflict and educational transfer. Its foremost question is: to what degree can analytical tools recently developed by those interested in policy transfer illuminate the investigations of those interested in education and conflict? To explore this question, two young scholars, one primarily engaged in research into processes of educational transfer and one focused on the dynamics of education and conflict, come together to argue first for the potential of collaboration between the subfields. The article then introduces a series of transfer models and presents examples wherein those models may be useful for the study of education and conflict. Finally, aspects of these models are combined with work done by scholars interested in conflict and transition to present a new conceptual device: ‘Educational Transfer in Situations Affected by Conflict’. The purpose of presenting the new model herein is to elicit critique and feedback from researchers, policy makers and practitioners that, it is hoped, will lead to its further refinement and to an understanding of its potential for establishing common ground.

Conflict-Fragility-Education

In recent years, the concept of state fragility has become increasingly pertinent to discussion of conflict and education. The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), for instance, created a Working Group on Education and Fragility in 2008, which brings together donors, policymakers and academics to ‘catalyze collaborative action on issues relating to education and fragility’ (INEE, 2014).

Education in emergencies post-2015: insights from quantitative research: Compare forum: The post-2015 education and development agenda

As the 2015 target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, there are a growing number of processes, preparations and debates on what a post-2015 agenda and framework will look like. The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) (as chaired by the United Nations Development Programme) is leading the planning of efforts to catalyse a ‘global conversation’ on post-2015 through a series of some 100 national consultations and 11 global thematic consultations. The aim of these consultations has been to bring together a broad range of stakeholders to review progress on the MDGs and to discuss the options for a new framework. The overall global thematic consultation on education is co-led by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with support from the Government of Canada, the Government of Germany and the Government of the Republic of Senegal. The education consultations focus on the progress to date as well as the possible scope and shape of education within the post-2015 agenda.The purpose of this special edition of the Compare Forum is to contribute to this debate in relation to ideas about how progress towards greater education quality and equity can be achieved, including how and what goals and targets need to be defined and owned and how governments can be made accountable for them.