Protecting education from attack

Every child and young person has the right to education. Yet in conflict zones around the world, schools and universities are under attack.

Every day students and educators are killed, raped, and abducted, while schools and universities are occupied, bombed, and destroyed.

To prevent and end attacks on education and the military use of schools and universities all states are encouraged to endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration - an inter-governmental political commitment to protect students, teachers, schools and universities from the worse effects of armed conflict.

In endorsing the Declaration, countries commit to take measures to strengthen the protection of education from attack, restrict the use of education facilities for military purposes, and ensure the continuity of safe education during armed conflict.

Members of parliament have a critical role to encourage their government to safeguard education from attack through endorsement and implementation of the Declaration.

The Safe Schools Conference

In November 2025, Kenya will host the Fifth International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration, hosted by the Government of Kenya, in partnership with the Governments of Argentina, Norway and Spain, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) alongside international and regional partners.

This landmark event marks the 10th anniversary of the Safe Schools Declaration, a global commitment endorsed by 121 States to protect students, teachers, and schools during armed conflict.

The conference will bring together governments, UN agencies, civil society, academia, children, and youth advocates. It will serve as a platform to reflect on progress, share experiences, and adopt the Nairobi Action Plan – a renewed global roadmap to ensure that education is never a target of war.

Resources

The Safe Schools Declaration
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack

Questions and Answers on the Safe Schools Declaration
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack

Education Under Attack Series 2024
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack

Commentary on the “Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict”
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack

International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2021

To mark the International Day to Protect Education from Attack on September 9, 2021, the International Parliamentary Network for Education, with support from the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, issued a briefing for members of parliament on actions they can take to better safeguard education from attack.

The briefing includes a range of concrete measures parliamentarians can take to encourage their government to sign the Safe Schools Declaration and strengthen its implementation.

Find out more