Protecting education from attack helps secure peace and safety for all children in Africa, experts have stressed. The call was made on Thursday, June 13, 2024, during the celebration of the Day of the African Child in Kigali.

The theme for the Day of the African Child, organised by Dallaire Institute, is "Education for all children in Africa: The time is now.”

To help mark this year’s theme, Dallaire Institute’s African Centre of Excellence for Children, Peace, and Security hosted a regional workshop to highlight the linkages between access to quality education, protecting children and their wellbeing, and achieving sustainable peace and security.

The discussions during the conference focused on key international instruments to protect children and education from the effects of armed conflict and armed violence, namely the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers and the Safe Schools Declaration, as well as approaches put forward by key regional bodies such as the African Union.

The second day of the conference featured a discussion with representatives from civil society on localised initiatives to protect children and their access to quality education at the community level.

The conference ended with a brief discussion on the linkages between access to quality, inclusive, lifelong education, child protection and well-being, and global efforts to achieve sustainable peace and security.

Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Ferdinand Safari, the Director of the Dallaire Institute African Centre of Excellence on Children, Peace, and Security, said that the Day of the African Child is a key reminder of the courage and resilience of children across the continent.

"It is a constant reminder of how you manifest to protect children and to offer them the basic that they deserve, which is education,” he noted.

The Day of the African Child was instituted in 1991 by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU and is celebrated each year on June 16 in memory of the South African black youth who died protesting in Soweto in 1976 against a government mandate that insisted that black high schools be taught in Afrikaans – which at the time was seen as a tool of oppression by the white minority.

Thousands of children and youth took to the streets and were met with police brutality. Hundreds of children died, the youngest of whom is suspected to have been only 12 years old.

"The African child is the most vulnerable but can contribute or participate in decision-making for him or her. We still have a long way to go. Education is not only human rights but also a cornerstone for sustainable development in lasting peace and security,” he said.

Attacks on education in Africa

Safari said the current state of attacks on education in Africa is worrying. In 2023, Save the Children reported that attacks on education across Africa rose by 20 per cent with around 411 reports of violent incidents targeting schools, teachers, and children, most of which were reported in Nigeria and Sudan.

"We should also be concerned. Armed conflict and violence have been persistent in the world. And unfortunately, most cases are found on our continent. Hundreds of schools have been destroyed, thousands of children have been displaced and countless lives have been lost,” Safari said.

He said the Safe Schools Declaration was endorsed by different African nations in response to these challenges.

The Safe Schools Declaration, an intergovernmental political commitment, aims to protect students, teachers, schools, and universities from targeted and indiscriminate attacks by armed forces and armed groups, as well as to restrict military use of educational infrastructure.

"The Safe Schools Declaration is supported by many other instruments like the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians and Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping, and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers of which Dallaire Institute is custodian,” he added.

Gen. (Rtd) James Kabarebe, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation, acknowledged Dallaire Institute for the remarkable transformation in protecting children.

"It has significant work in Rwanda and across the region. Dallaire Institute remains a partner of the government of Rwanda in advancing the agenda of children's peace and security. Our partnership has grown significantly as evidenced by the signing of MOUs between the institute, the Ministry of Defence, national police, and other institutions,” he said.

He said that Rwanda has made significant progress in protecting children’s rights within and beyond borders.

"Our political commitment includes national policies and frameworks that place children at the centre of our development agenda. It also includes being signatories to key international legal instruments such as the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, and Vancouver principles. Most recently, Rwanda endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration,” he said.

He added that achieving the African Union Agenda 2060 should ensure education, peace, and security for all African children.

Robert Doya Nanima, AU representative and member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) said: "We are not part of the solution but we are the solution. The current challenges in education are a reflection of the fact that we ought to do a lot since a better future lies in our children.”

He said it is reported that there were 11,000 attacks on schools between 2015 and 2019 harming over 22,000 students and teachers in 93 countries. "There is a lot that we need to do.”

David Blaise Abessolo Ossene, the Director of Education, Culture, and Scientific Research at the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAs), added that child education, development, and welfare are key for sustainable development, adding that armed forces are a menace to child’s rights.

He cited insecurity in the central African region leading to the closure of schools.

"It is urgent to ensure education for these children,” he said.

Anthony Njoroge, the Deputy Director of Regional Programmes at Save the Children International, noted that currently, over 270 million children within the continent are directly impacted by conflicts.

"That makes it over one in four. This connects to education; it is an attack on education. When schools are attacked, children are not able to go to school. People are afraid to provide or manage assistance.”