Education is understood to be one of the most powerful tools for development in society. While education, when used positively, can result in great leaps toward development, however, it can have a dark side to it when used for malicious aims, often resulting in horrible consequences.
Education during conflict is especially important as it can be the tool driving change. Whether that change is one towards peacebuilding or one that furthers conflict is dependent on the kind of education.
There goes a saying, “If you want to destroy the future of any nation, no need to wage war with them; defunct their education, they will remain no more live on the map of the world.”
Quality education provides people with information and skills, as well as, aids in the development of positive values, ideals, and morals. Additionally, it is essential for advancing political, cultural, religious, social, and economic growth. A nation's capacity to maintain this process is essential to its growth, economic success, and citizens well-being.
Education also serves as a tool for socialization and identity development in conflict-affected areas. As a result, while education may contribute to conflict, it may also help in peacebuilding. Therefore, it is important to understand the significance of quality education and prioritize it, especially in situations of conflict. If we want to work towards establishing peace and giving aid to people affected by conflict, we need to prioritize quality education. Education often makes or breaks a nation.
Iqra Pervez
23110195
Your blog reminds me of the arguments made by King in his research paper, "From Classrooms to Conflict in Rwanda”, where he explains the relationship between the content of education and likelihood of conflict, by taking Rwanda and Afghanistan as case studies. Though one can't deny the role of education in building the nation, but there is very less discussion around how education can lead to conflict, thus destruction. For instance, education was leading to further polarization and hatred among the students in Afghanistan against the Russians. The production of hatred could be seen how math was being taught to grade 5 students through the example of Kalashnikov bullet and a Russian head.
Very well said! I think the points you've raised are really important. The right to people's education should be prioritized without any biases. Education can pretty much act as a tool of destruction as we read in the case of Sierra Leonne where the state had a colonial and elitist mindset. Education is something the government and international organizations really need to work on, especially for women. It reminds me of a saying by Napolean, "Give me an educated mother, I shall promise you the birth of a civilized, educated nation".
This is a very important take on the issue. Like many other things education can definitely also be used as a tool for destruction. I think the example of hacking can be used here perfectly as in this increasingly technological world we’re seeing cases of criminal hacking growing everyday. According to research 1.76 billion records were stolen in 2019 alone. Just like this science can also easily be used for destruction in times for conflict.
Definitely right! I brought this point up in a discussion on my blog as well that we should realise that education in its normative sense, isn't inherently good or bad. So whenever we talk about education provision in such terms, it is always extremely important to be critical of the methods of pedagogy, and the quality of education, along with other factors such as the environment in which it is provided, ease of access etc. This is why we can observe how in the example of UNO and Afghanistan, the US and other NGOs doled out millions of dollars, which could be in theory, called steps for promotion of education. But the consequences it was producing, owing to the outdated…
Spot on, Iqra! I think education definitely has the ability to be a tool for destruction. However, I think the term for that would be Miseducation instead of education. Miseducation could take place when the content being taught is biased in a way as to promote false ideologies.
Moreover, I think that the way our education today does not seem to encourage creativity and problem-solving skills, but rather promotes conformity is also a serious problem. Nowadays, for the vast majority of people, formal schooling is the only way to gain an education. But the practices in this sector have not been updated for decades and many of the teaching methods and principles used are severely outdated. Many schools are still…