Between 2015-2019 more than 22,000 children and young people but also teachers and academics were injured, killed or harmed. Afghanistan, Colombia, Cameroon, DRC, Myanmar, Palestine, Syria, The Philippines, Turkey, Ukraine, Yemen… around the whole world, schools and universities continue to being occupied, bombed and destroyed; school boys and girls are being abducted or recruited at school or on the way to/from school; in other cases attackers threaten them with the use of force, including sexual violence. In addition to any physical damage, which is already appalling, the moral and psycho-social damage to the life of these children should be a major concern. Yet, education under attack in armed conflicts is still a daily reality for too many of them.

Wars, armed conflicts, and displacement are not only attacks to spaces, places and people, but also violations of a fundamental human right recognised in numerous international, regional and national instruments. Education is a right in itself and a multiplier of other rights. Legal frameworks, measures and tools already exist that provide a variety of solutions. Alas, proper knowledge of such instruments and possible avenues for action is still limited.

This MOOC will fill this knowledge gap and will mobilise more people and resources in the defence of such a fundamental right when and where it is most needed. Thanks to the regional reach of the Global Campus of Human Rights, case studies and examples from the field will be used to illustrate situations, violations and existing good practices. Academics and experts will contribute analytical and practical inputs, while testimonies from affected children, young students and teachers/educators will contextualise impact and hopefully inspire change.

This MOOC is offered within the framework of the collaboration between the Global Campus and Right Livelihood.

Course Outline

The MOOC runs over 5 weeks and is organised in 3 modules:

Module 1 – Education as a right for children

• Education as an enabling right and a multiplier
• Education in situations of armed conflict

Module 2 - Protecting the right to education of children in armed conflict

• Facing violations during armed conflict
• Minimising risks and maximising protection

Module 3 - The way forward

• Possible solutions to protect the right to education during armed conflict

Lecturers and Experts

Building on previous cooperation, the Global Campus of Human Rights and the Right to Education Initiative are collaborating to introduce greater clarity on a rights-based approach to education in armed conflict, as well as concrete ways for putting it into practice. The MOOC offers a wealth of specialised knowledge and examples, enabling participants to benefit from rich and varied competences. It features relevant actors from a multitude of perspectives on education and armed conflicts (read bios here), including but not limited to:

Delphine Dorsi

Director, Right to Education Initiative

Elin Martínez

Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch

Sergey Ghazinyan

Legal Expert, Yerevan State University

John Paul P. A. Amah

Children's Rights Officer, Global Campus of Human Rights

Bede Sheppard

Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch

Siraj H. Khan

Law and Policy Manager, Education Above All Foundation

Ariel Solari

Team Lead, INEE

Apolline Montoya

Advocacy and Policy Adviser, GCPEA

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, participants will have gained:

• Key information about definitions, components and core content of the right to education
• Increased awareness about the connections between the right to education and armed conflict
• Robust knowledge on legal standards, monitoring mechanisms and promising practices related to the right to education in the framework of armed conflict
• Clearer understanding – through reference to case studies and implementation on the ground – of the need to adopt a rights-based approach to children’s education in the context of armed conflict.

Ultimately, the course is a pathway to:

• Reinforce awareness and amplify dialogue on the importance of talking and acting on children’s education as a matter of rights
• Empower participants through education on how to defend the right to education even – and above all - during armed conflict
• Envisage a roadmap for change, including on how to develop inter-sectoral collaboration, policy plans, monitoring processes and advocacy strategies.

F.A.Q.s

+

Enrolment

How do I enrol in the course?

In order to enrol, please follow the instructions on our “How to Enrol” webpage. This will then lead you to the OpenEdX course page. Once you are there, you can start the enrolment process by clicking the "enrol" button.

Is there a selection procedure to participate in the course?

The course is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), which means we do not select participants on any basis. Rather, we welcome anyone who is interested in learning more about the topic to enrol and participate for free.

+

Fees

I would like to know if the course is free or if some parts are to be paid

Our course is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), which means all components are open and totally free for anyone.

Do I need to pay any fee to attend the course?

There are no registration or tuition fees. The certificate of participation is also free and offered to all those who successfully complete all the course requirements (see below for details on the certificate).

+

Accessibility

Is the course accessible to persons with disabilities?

We want all participants in our courses to enjoy a great learning experience and we strive to always improve accessibility. Each week of the course includes one or two video lectures with accompanying transcripts and reading materials. The texts are in PDF format, work at low bandwidths, are printable and can be zoomed to the desired size. Some readings may include pages from accessible websites. This makes all of them accessible to those who use assistive technology software such as screen readers. Likewise, weekly discussions and module quizzes can be completed through our platform which is accessible, for example, to people who use speech input, keyboard accessible controls or text to speech tools. For more details please visit EdX Website Accessibility Policy.

+

Structure and content

Is there a schedule for the course or is it self-directed?

The course is self-paced and mostly asynchronous so participants can study in their own time. However, to enhance peer learning, interactive participation and self-assessment, weekly topics and discussions as well as module quizzes are proposed at set dates. In any case, they are all open until the end of the course to facilitate access and completion at any preferred time.

+

Certificate of completion

What do I need to do to get the certificate of participation?

At the end of the course, if you have actively participated in all required weekly discussions and successfully completed all quizzes, you will receive a certificate confirming your participation.