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international
international

educating in times of conflict

Conrad hughes

Director General, International School of Geneva (Ecolint)

One of the major challenges we face as educators is not only with the neurocircuitry of the learning
how to broach the subject of international armed process but with a child’s natural development.
conflict in the classroom. With wars, invasions Learning spaces should be safe, enhancing and
and interstate conflict all about us, some of them nurturing.
right at the doorstep of schools and, tragically,
some interfering with the process of schooling Furthermore, young people have questions
directly by forcing the closure of schools, one about international conflict, they are drawn in
can hardly underestimate the impact of conflict to oversimplified and politicised representations
on education. In fact, over 20 million children of it on social media and school should be a
are still not able to access schooling because of place where they can access information, clarify
war whereas there are 20% more school children facts and, most importantly, feel that they can
affected by war directly in 2024 than in previous discuss what is happening around them in a
years. neutral, non-judgmental environment where
empathy, listening but also critical thinking are
Conflict creates anxiety and fear, which in no promoted.
way contribute to learning. After decades of
research, we know that the excess cortisol and How might schools deal with this complex,
adrenaline created by extreme stress interfere multi-layered problem? Here are three steps we

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