Key messages by the Special Rapporteur on Children in Conflict Situations and the Special Rapporteur on Education of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) on the International Day to Protect Education from Attack
The Special Rapporteur on Children in Conflict Situations, Hon. Robert Doya Nanima, and the Special Rapporteur on Education, Hon. Poloko Nuggert Ntshwarang, join the international community in marking the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. Guided by Articles 11 and 22 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Africa’s Agenda for Children 2040, the Safe Schools Declaration, as well as General Comment No. 6 on Children in Situations of Conflict and General Comment No. 9 on the Right to Education, the Committee reaffirms that the right to education must be upheld even in times of conflict and crisis. Education is an enabling right, essential for the realisation of other rights to self-improvement and actualisation. Schools are civilian spaces and must never be used for military purposes or subjected to attack.
On this day, we call upon AU Member States to:
- Safeguard children’s right to learn in conflict zones by protecting schools, ensuring education remains accessible, and putting in place rapid measures so that learning never stops.
- Strengthen legal and policy frameworks to prevent attacks on schools and to hold perpetrators accountable.
Strengthen resilient education systems capable of withstanding crises, through well-trained teachers, flexible learning approaches, and safe, durable infrastructure.
Place children’s well-being at the centre by embedding mental health and psychosocial support services within the education system.
Let us ensure that schools remain safe spaces for our children in times of conflict, places where they are protected, supported, and able to continue learning.