Education is not only lifesaving
As Nelson Mandela said it is also “the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
Blog by Agathe Freal, Concern Worldwide (INEW Member)
For #GAWE2025, the Global Action Week for Education, taking place between 28th April and 5th May, our member Concern Worldwide shares why education is essential — especially in times of crisis!
Education is an important equaliser. According to UNESCO, we could cut the global poverty rate by more than half if all adults completed secondary education. This means that all children, especially in emergencies or conflicts should have access to education.
‘Education in emergencies’ refers to quality learning opportunities for all ages, levels or types of education in situations of crisis. Education in emergencies (EiE) provides physical, psychosocial, and cognitive protection that can sustain and save lives. Common situations of crisis in which education in emergencies is essential include conflicts, situations of violence, forced displacement, disasters, and public health emergencies. Education in emergencies is a wider concept than ’emergency education response’, which is an essential part of it.
Concern’s work is grounded in the belief that all children have a right to quality education and that it can make a difference for the future. In 2023, our education programmes impacted 1.1 million people and in 2024, out of all the people who benefited directly from our education programmes, 68% was under Education in Emergencies. So even in emergencies, highly insecure or volatile contexts, organisations like Concern Worldwide can support Education and allow children, to not only survive but also learn and thrive.
Concern Education staff visiting a supported school in Diffa, Niger 2023 / Credit: Agathe Freal, Concern Worldwide
Why Education is essential?
Quality education supports a child’s development of social, emotional, cognitive, and communication skills but it also has a far-reaching impact on their future earning potential, and opportunity to exit poverty. Education doesn’t just benefit the individual, it plays a key role in improving many other aspects of society and ultimately ending poverty.
1. Universal education can fight inequality. Poverty thrives in part on inequality. Two hundred and fifty-one million children worldwide remain out of school, according to a 2024 UNESCO report. These are most often children who are already living in poverty and facing systemic barriers in their community – be it gender, race, ability, or their status as refugees. Education is a basic human right for all, and – when tailored to the unique needs of marginalised communities – can be used as a lever against some of the systemic barriers that keep certain groups of people furthest behind.
2. Education is linked to lower maternal and infant mortality rates. Young girls often face the biggest barriers to education, as families are reluctant to educate girls. However, education for girls leads to healthier mothers and babies down the line. One of the reasons for this is the connection between education and the reduced rates of child marriage. In turn, women who are married later have children after they’ve reached physical maturity. This generally leads to better outcomes for both the mother and her infant, with safer pregnancies and healthier newborns. Additionally, mothers with an education are more likely to access the best possible health and nutrition practices for them and their child.
3. Education lowers stunting rates in children. The same children who benefit at birth by mothers with education also benefit in the long-term, as a mother’s education level has been linked to lowered rates of stunting, one of the side effects of malnutrition. A study in Kenya has shown that children born to mothers with secondary education are 29% less likely to be stunted (which can reduce the risks of many developmental issues for children whose brain development is based on their nutrients in their first few years). Thus, with a mother’s education, a child’s capacity for learning and development improves. In the long-term, they are more likely to be able to finish school and earn an income.
4. Education reduces vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. As the number of extreme weather events increases due to climate change, education plays a critical role in reducing a community’s vulnerability and risk to these events. Individuals who have received an education are more likely to be employed in the formal sector, and have more of a financial safety net to prepare for extreme weather in advance, offset losses that do occur, and recover from natural disasters. Secondly, education gives young people the opportunity to learn about what causes climate change, how to recognise the signs of natural disasters, and how to get themselves to safety, while also increasing their awareness and interest in finding solutions to climate change in their communities.
5. Education reduces violence at home and in communities. Girls who receive a full education are more likely to understand their rights and opportunities, both at home and within the community. This gives them the skills to advocate for themselves and enables them to make informed decisions. Furthermore, with education women are able to enter the workforce and take on positions of power, such as governance, which over time creates a culture where violence against women is not tolerated. On the other hand, boys who receive an education are more likely to condemn gender-based violence and support gender equality.
6. Education is linked to economic growth. Poverty is a multi-faceted issue and cannot be fixed by addressing one cause alone. Because education confronts many of those issues discussed above, including health and gender equality, it is strongly linked to economic growth. Not only is education better for the individual, but their country’s economy benefits too. Educated citizens earn more, thus paying more in taxes and placing less of a strain on the government’s budget to support people through welfare and other means.
Girl writing on a board in a bridging accelerated class, Niger 2023 / Credit: Concern Worldwide
What can be achieved with Education in Emergencies interventions?
Concern has brought quality education to villages that are hard to reach, engaged local community leaders to find solutions to keep girls in school, and provided continuous professional development and training for teachers.
For example, Concern has been working in Education in Niger for the past 20 years. In Niger, 51% of children (ages 7 – 12) are not in school and for those who are in school, 72% are not meeting the level of reading expected for children at the end of primary school and in 2017, 68% were reporting having experienced physical violence at school. Adding to that, there are high levels of instability and schools are being targeted by armed groups with more than 880 elementary schools that have closed in the west of Niger in May 2024, affecting more than 71,000 learners.
For the past 4 years, The “Learning Together” programme has engaged children, schools, teachers and communities in that region to improve children’s wellbeing and learning. The Concern education team, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has supported over 250 schools (about 71,000 children) in two regions affected by insecurity.
For those areas where schools are still open, over 1,400 teachers have been regularly supported with trainings around inclusive pedagogies child protection, education in emergencies and the Safe School Approach. Concern also developed a new training, validated by the Ministry, to address the prevalent issue of school related gender based violence. The final evaluation of this programme showed promising findings indicating a change in teachers’ behaviour and a reduction in the reporting of violence.
Video coaching for a listening club, Niger, November 2024 / Credit: Concern Worldwide
Video coaching for a listening club, Niger, November 2024 / Credit: Concern Worldwide
In areas where schools had to close because of insecurity, Concern worked with the Ministry and established a 3-level French and mathematics 7 months curriculum for interactive distance audio learning. Over 360 lessons were adapted with a taskforce from the Ministry and recorded with audio journalists from a local radio station. This allows children whose schools are closed to continue accessing some form of education. Over 4,300 children attended “listening clubs” where a group gathers with a facilitator to listen together. The listening clubs registered 92% retention and led to a 69% increase in average assessment scores at mid-term.
For children that are out of school or might have been displaced, dropped out or missed a number of years, Concern supported them with a formal 9 months of accelerated learning. This enabled more than 8,700 pupils to access education, with more than 90% of those children subsequently reintegrating formal school.
This shows that not only is education essential but it is possible for every child to have access to some form of education, even in the most remote or insecure areas. Education is at the heart of every child’s development and is key to breaking the poverty cycle and improving health and opportunities for all children.
Education Saves Lives, let us protect and support Education in Emergencies.
Join the Irish Network for Education Worldwide (INEW) and our members during #GAWE2025 to shine a light on how education protects, supports, and empowers children and communities in crisis — and advocate for education to be part of every humanitarian response. Follow on LinkedIn!
