Education In Emergencies EIE
By: Musa Abu Hadeed, Nisreen Kassem & Nayla Abi Antoun
Feb 27, 2024
This is Part 1 of a 4-part series.
Remember the dawn of the COVID era? For schools in the West Bank and Jerusalem, March 8, 2020 felt like waking up to a scene straight out of The Walking Dead, but instead of zombies, an invisible enemy had shut down the world and turned it upside down. Airports, markets, streets, schools – everything froze in place. Amidst the chaos, crucial questions loomed. What do we do about education? How can we figure it out!?
Education in emergencies, or EiE, ensures quality, inclusive learning for children facing crises like conflicts, disasters, or displacement. It is a crucial tool for protecting, healing, and empowering students during tough times (Education in Emergencies, n.d.).
Education in emergencies goes beyond providing temporary schooling during crises. It encompasses quality learning opportunities for all ages, from early childhood to adults, during conflicts, disasters, and other threats. More than just education, it offers vital physical, emotional, and mental support, helping individuals of all ages cope and build resilience. This broader approach aims not just to respond to emergencies but also to ensure long-term learning and support through even the toughest times (INEE Strategic Framework 2018-2023 | INEE, 2019).
Growing up in an area prone to emergencies can pose difficulties for children’s education. This is particularly evident in regions like Palestine, which has confronted various periods of turmoil and uncertainty. Musa, a school principal in Jerusalem for 12 years, has witnessed emergencies disrupting children’s schooling. Attendance decreased as students grappled with fear and hardship amidst poverty and ongoing challenges. This issue extends beyond Palestine. In Lebanon, Nisreen has observed the impact of overcrowded classrooms while working with refugee students. While these classrooms serve as temporary sanctuaries that provide a glimmer of hope, the overflowing spaces also highlight a stark reality: emergencies deprive children of their fundamental right to education. Additionally, Nayla’s work with students in Lebanon has highlighted the importance of mental health support in such environments.
The authors have seen that with each emergency, the question of education continuity morphs and mutates. The specter of a pandemic demands remote learning solutions while earthquakes leave schools in rubble. Floodwater disrupts routines, and the chaos of war scatters communities. Each crisis presents a unique puzzle for policymakers and educators. Education should not be a casualty of emergencies, but ensuring its continuity during such times remains an immense challenge for policymakers and educators. Traditional teaching methods crumble in the face of lockdowns, displacement, and fear. As traditional methods collapse like brick-and-mortar schools under the weight of lockdowns, the light of digital screens begins to shine through. Distance learning, once a far off beacon, emerges as a potential hero, its pixels holding the promise of educational continuity.
Distance Learning
Distance learning is a mode of education that allows students to learn without being physically present in a classroom. It is also known as online learning, e-learning, or remote learning (Distance Learning and Online Courses | Open University, n.d.). Imagine yourself standing at a crossroads, where one path leads to embracing this online learning in all its forms, and the other keeps traditional educational structures at the core with technology integrated strategically. Both paths offer benefits and drawbacks, and the choice boils down to prioritizing knowledge access and convenience vs. nurturing social and emotional development through face-to-face interaction. Ultimately, the decision must be made carefully, considering the well-being of individuals and society as a whole.
The year 2020 brought about a tsunami of change, not just in terms of public health but also in how we approach education. Terms like “Work from Home (WFH)” and “distance learning” became household phrases, reshaping our daily routines and sparking lively debates about the future of learning. The pandemic forced education online, highlighting the benefits of distance learning but raising concerns about the loss of face-to-face interaction’s social and developmental value. In the post-pandemic era, two models have emerged: the first, a blend of online and in-person learning, and, on the other side, fully remote learning (INEE Strategic Framework 2018-2023 | INEE, 2019).
October 7, 2023, marks a day etched in the entire region’s collective memory as the region witnessed the eruption of war in Gaza, with the wide-reaching effects rippling into the West Bank, South Lebanon and beyond.. As of today’s publication, many schools remain closed, centered in the shadow of uncertainty and danger. Distance learning has emerged as a glimmer of hope, a vital answer to ensure continued education during the chaos. School principals, leaders, and teachers on the frontlines of education face immense challenges, especially during crises. Two major models – integrated learning and full distance learning – have emerged to grapple with disruptions. However, three significant hurdles remain:
- Quality Assurance: How can we ensure quality education delivery across diverse platforms and learning environments?
- Personalized Learning: How can we cater to individual student needs and learning styles in a rapidly changing landscape?
- Emotional Learning: How can we foster social-emotional development and well-being when traditional face-to-face interactions are disrupted?
Yet amidst these challenges, opportunity blooms. Our forthcoming articles in this series will explore the challenges faced by schools, particularly in the MENA region, during emergencies, focusing on these three main hurdles. The authors will delve into how Microsoft’s Power Platform can be utilized as a solution for schools’ principals. They will showcase the platform’s tools for building custom apps and automating tasks and demonstrate an actual app designed to support student mental health. A subsequent article will discuss the crucial role of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) during crises. It will emphasize how SEL equips students with the necessary skills to navigate their emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisions, all of which are critical in times of turmoil. A final article will address the issue of personalized learning. It will explore how new AI tools and apps can cater to individual student needs and learning styles within the dynamic educational landscape.
Stay tuned as we navigate this journey together, exploring how education can rise from the ashes of crisis and illuminate the path towards a brighter future.
References:
Distance Learning and Online Courses | Open University. (n.d.). The Open University. https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/what-is-distance-learning
Distance Education and “Social Convergence.” (n.d.). Middle East Professional Learning Institute. https://mepli.gse.harvard.edu/our-fellows-at-work/distance-education-and-social-convergence
Education in Emergencies | INEE. (n.d.). https://inee.org/education-in-emergencies
Education in emergencies. (n.d.). UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/education/emergencies
INEE Strategic Framework 2018-2023 | INEE. (2019, February) https://inee.org/resources/inee-strategic-framework-2018-2023