Education as a Lifeline in Times of Crisis

This week’s Field Notes challenged me to see humanitarian education as more than a service provided during emergencies. Across four INEE studies, education emerges as a source of safety, confidence, and belonging.

The Global English Language Programme shows how language learning can expand refugees’ opportunities while helping them rebuild confidence after displacement. Lifesaving Learning demonstrates an even more immediate role: in communities affected by landmines, violence, disease, or disasters, knowledge can directly protect children’s lives.

However, access to school does not always guarantee safety. Children may still face risks on their way to school or inside the classroom, while teachers often work under displacement, exhaustion, overcrowding, and limited resources. Even strong programs can therefore fail if they overlook the people and conditions that sustain them.

Together, these findings show that education should not wait until food, shelter, and physical safety are secured. It can help create safety and recovery from the beginning. For Megaphone, the lesson is clear: meaningful advocacy must begin by listening. The strongest programs are not necessarily those that provide the most, but those that give young people the knowledge, security, and agency to shape their own futures.