Around the world, 224 million children living in crisis-affected countries (including conflict) are out of school—nearly half of all out-of-school children globally. When war erupts, education is one of the first casualties. Schools are damaged or destroyed, families are forced to flee, and the daily threat of violence makes simply getting to class dangerous or impossible.
The impact of conflict on education is severe and multifaceted, disrupting learning, displacing students and teachers, and damaging or destroying educational infrastructure. This page explores how war and conflict undermine children's access to education, the long-term consequences of these disruptions, and what can be done to protect and support education in conflict-affected areas.
Updated: January 2026
How Does Conflict Affect Children's Education?
Conflict doesn't just interrupt children's learning - it creates cascading barriers that can keep them out of school for months or years. From the immediate shock of displacement to the lasting trauma of living through violence, the effects are interconnected and profound.
Displacement
When families flee conflict, education is often left behind. According to UNHCR, nearly half of all school-aged refugee children remain out of school. In countries like Syria, Sudan and Ukraine, millions of children have been displaced multiple times, making it nearly impossible to maintain consistent schooling. Even when families reach safety, language barriers, lack of documentation, and overcrowded schools in host communities create new obstacles to enrolment.
Destruction of Educational Infrastructure
Conflict leaves schools in ruins. In Gaza, more than 80% of schools have been damaged or destroyed since October 2023. In Ukraine, thousands of schools have been hit by shelling, while in Sudan, ongoing fighting has rendered many schools unusable. Even when the fighting stops, rebuilding takes years—and without classrooms, textbooks or basic supplies, communities struggle to restore any form of learning.
Security Concerns
The threat of violence makes going to school dangerous. Between 2020 and 2021, there were more than 5,000 attacks on education across conflict zones worldwide. These attacks don't just damage buildings - they kill and injure students and teachers, creating an atmosphere of fear that keeps families from sending children to school. Girls are particularly affected, as parents worry about their safety travelling to and from school in insecure areas.
Military Use of Schools
Schools are sometimes occupied by armed forces or armed groups, turning them into military targets and preventing children from using them safely. Despite the Safe Schools Declaration - an international commitment to protect schools from military use - this practice continues in conflicts around the world. Once a school has been used militarily, communities often lose trust in it as a safe space, and closures can extend long after armed forces have left.
School Closures
Even schools that remain physically intact may close due to insecurity, teacher shortages or lack of resources. In Yemen, years of conflict have left more than 4 million children out of school, with thousands of teachers unpaid and unable to work. These closures create gaps in learning that become harder to close the longer they persist, particularly for younger children who miss foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
Trauma and Stress
Living through conflict takes a psychological toll that affects children's ability to learn. Witnessing violence, losing loved ones, and living in constant fear can lead to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. Without psychosocial support, these invisible wounds can last a lifetime.
Loss of Family Support
Conflict tears families apart. Children may be orphaned, separated from parents, or forced to take on adult responsibilities to help their families survive. Economic hardship pushes many children into work instead of school, while girls face increased risk of early marriage as families struggle to cope. Even when schools remain open, the loss of parental support - financial, emotional and practical - can make attendance impossible.
Sanyu, 11, carrying books from the Catchup club in Wakiso, Uganda. Catch up Clubs are based on TARL (Teaching at the Right Level) and were initially introduced as response to Uganda’s children experiencing the longest school closures in the world as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences?
The impact of conflict on education extends far beyond missed school days. It shapes children's futures, their communities' recovery, and entire nations' prospects for peace and prosperity.
Educational Attainment
Children affected by conflict often fall years behind their peers. This creates lasting gaps in literacy, numeracy and critical thinking skills that make it difficult to pursue further education or skilled employment. The longer children are out of school, the harder it becomes to catch up.
Economic Impact
Lost education translates directly into lost earnings. The World Bank estimates that each year of schooling increases future earnings by approximately 10%. For countries affected by prolonged conflict, the cumulative loss of education can reduce the gross domestic product by billions over a generation. Individual children who miss school face a lifetime of reduced economic opportunities, perpetuating cycles of poverty that conflict has already deepened.
Social and Political Stability
Education is one of the strongest foundations for lasting peace. When young people lack education and opportunity, they're more vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups and less able to participate in rebuilding their societies.
Protecting Education in Conflict Zones
Despite the enormous challenges, there are proven ways to protect and support children's learning during conflict. International frameworks, emergency programmes and community-led initiatives are making a difference in some of the world's most dangerous places.
International Humanitarian Law
The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols establish clear protections for schools and students during armed conflict. Attacking civilian infrastructure, including schools, is a violation of international humanitarian law. Monitoring bodies like the UN Security Council's Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict document these violations and push for accountability, though enforcement remains inconsistent.
The Safe Schools Declaration
Launched in 2015, the Safe Schools Declaration is a political commitment by states to protect education during armed conflict. Currently endorsed by 114 countries, it provides concrete guidelines to prevent military use of schools, continue education during attacks, and collect data on violations. Countries that have implemented the Declaration have seen measurable improvements in protecting educational facilities, though challenges remain in conflict zones where armed groups don't recognise these commitments.
Emergency Education Programmes
When formal education systems break down, emergency education programmes provide lifelines for children's learning. These include temporary learning spaces set up in camps or community buildings, accelerated education programmes that help over-age students catch up, and teacher training to support educators working in crisis conditions. Technology is increasingly important too - radio lessons, digital platforms and mobile learning have reached millions of children in conflict zones where traditional schooling isn't possible.
Community-Based Initiatives
Local communities are often the first responders when conflict disrupts education. Parents, teachers and community leaders organise informal learning spaces, volunteer teaching time, and advocate for their children's right to learn. These grassroots efforts, when supported with resources and training, can sustain learning even in the most difficult circumstances.
Sandi*, 9, Suha*'s younger sister, inside the child friendly space she now attends. Sandi and her siblings are refugees who were forced to flee conflict in Iraq and now live in a displacement camp in Syria. All of them are attending school for the first time in their lives.
Girls participate in a drawing activity at a Girls Empowerment Centre, run by Save the Children, in Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan.
How Save the Children Help
Save the Children works in the world's toughest places to ensure children affected by conflict can keep learning. We establish temporary learning spaces, train teachers to support traumatised children, provide school supplies and psychosocial support, and advocate with governments and armed groups to protect schools from attack.
In Ukraine, we've supported more than 300,000 children with education programmes since the conflict escalated. In Gaza, we're working to restore learning opportunities for children who've missed months or years of school. Across the world, we partner with communities, governments and other organisations to deliver education in emergencies—because we believe every child deserves the chance to learn, no matter where they live or what they're living through.
Our work is possible because of supporters who believe, as we do, that education is both a fundamental right and a powerful tool for recovery. Together, we're helping children not just survive conflict, but build the skills and hope they need for the future.
