Tuesday 13th May 2014, 17:30 – 19:00, Room 802, 20 Bedford Way, Institute of Education, London

Dr Robin Shields (University of Bath) and Dr Julia Paulson (Bath Spa University)

In this seminar, we present a longitudinal analysis of cross-national data on armed conflict, state fragility, and enrolment in primary and secondary schooling. The study is motivated by questions raised in the 2012 Human Security Report, which challenges the widely-held assumption that conflict is necessarily detrimental to educational outcomes. Our findings suggest that growth in enrolment is significantly lower in conflict-affected countries but that the effect is dependent upon countries’ overall enrolment level. However, when we control for fragility, the effect of conflict is not significant, and fragility offers more explanation of changes in enrolment levels. We use these findings to scrutinise how state fragility is defined and operationalised using multivariate statistics.

Thursday 3rd April 2014, 18:30 – 20:00, Nunn Hall, 20 Bedford Way, Institute of Education, London

Dr Mieke Lopes Cardozo (University of Amsterdam)

Thursday 16 January 2014, 17.30 – 19.00 (Room 802)

Professor Mario Novelli (University of Sussex)

The paper explores the merging of security and development policies by western development agencies operating in conflict affected states, and its broad effects on the education sector. The paper explores the way education has become increasingly intertwined with post 9/11 security discourses and traces the history, rationales and outcomes of this shift. The article also explores the multiple and competing discourses of a range of actors engaging with education in conflict affected states, demonstrating the way a ‘common sense’ discourse linking development to security masks deep divisions amongst key actors.

Thursday 12 December 2013, 17.30 – 19.00 (Room 784)

Education in conflict and emergencies: Introduction – Dr Tejendra Pherali (Institute of Education)

This will be a brief presentation to introduce the seminar programme and highlight some of the current debates in the field of education, conflict and emergencies.

Stopping violence against girls in schools? –  Dr Jenny Parkes (Institute of Education)

This seminar will present research findings on the effectiveness of a multi-partnered NGO intervention (led by ActionAid) which aimed over 5 years to address gender violence in schools and communities in Kenya, Ghana and Mozambique. Drawing on data from a mixed methodology endline study, I will consider why change has been uneven, relating this both to features of context and to the nature of the intervention. The seminar will conclude with a discussion about the educational implications.