Education Transforms

Conflict and poverty often go together. Of the world's 20 poorest countries, 16 have suffered a major civil war in the last 20 years.

But education has the power to help children rewrite their futures.

Every country that has had continued economic growth has got nearly all its children into school first. Education can break the lethal cycle of poverty and conflict. It is one of the things children and parents in conflict-affected countries want most - they know how important education can be.

The power to protect

With the right support, schools can be a refuge during conflict. A regular routine and a supportive atmosphere give children some normality and build their self-confidence and self-esteem. Good-quality education can also offer psychological support and healing, and can protect children from physical harm, exploitation and violence. Children can learn how to protect themselves with life skills such as landmine and HIV and AIDS awareness, knowledge they can then pass to their families and communities.

Peace and prosperity

Education promotes peace and can foster the possibility of a stable future. It can encourage conflict resolution, tolerance, human rights and citizenship. It can reduce both poverty and inequality, and lays the foundation for countries which are prosperous and well governed. Every year of school increases individual wages for both men and women by a worldwide average of 10 per cent.

Educating girls is a particularly powerful way to generate social prosperity. As well as boosting the number of women in the workforce and allowing them to earn independently, a mother's education can significantly affect her children's survival, increasing the likelihood they will go further in school.

Quality counts

It's not enough just to get children into school. The education they receive must be of good quality - that means things like trained teachers, reasonable class sizes and appropriate curricula. These are what give children opportunities and hope for a better future. Good quality education can encourage children to respect values and give them the confidence and ability to question intolerance and conflict.