This indicator refers to the number of such incidents in the last 12 months, or during another designated time period. The indicator is common to two categories of attacks on education: attacks on schools and universities and/or other educational facilities and military use of schools and universities.
Virtual library of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, OCHA’s Humanitarian Data Exchange’s Education and Conflict Monitor, the reports of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), and GCPEA and Insecurity Insight’s Education in Danger newsbrief.
Article 13 (4), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Article 29 (2), Convention on the Rights of the Child; Article 13 (5), Article 7, (g) (i) & article 8 (2) (b) (ix), Rome Statute;; Articles 50 & 94, Geneva Convention IV; Article 51, 52 & 78, Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions; Protocol of San Salvador; Article 11 (7), African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; Article 13, Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; Article 14 (3), European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights; Article 27 (3) ILO Convention 169; Article 17, European Social Charter (Revised; Safe Schools declaration; Safe Schools Declaration. UN Security Council resolutions: 1261 (1999), 1314 (2000), 1379 (2001), 1460 (2003), 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1820.
Add up all the reported incidents identified as schools closure (partial/total) in the indicator Have schools, universities and/or other educational facilities been attacked? and all the reported incidents identified as schools closure (partial/total) in the indicator Have schools, universities and other educational facilities been used by armed forces to support their military efforts?
A high incidence of reported school closures indicates a problem in the availability of education. During political and/or military hostilities, schools may be closed or not allowed to open for many reasons, including, for example, military use of the facilities or damage to school infrastructure as a result from explosions, airstrikes, shelling, threats or other types of attacks as defined in this monitoring guide. Also, the use of schools for military purposes may result in the partial or complete closure of schools. Total occupation of schools by armed forces may lead to the complete closure of the school, whereas when there is partial occupation educational activities might continue in the non occupied area. In this last case, it is important to verify if military personnel are physically separated from students, teachers and staff, as they might have regular transit in the facility, including in the area that is not being used for military purposes. This might increase the risks of attacks against students, teachers and staff - including sexual violence and child recruitment - and create a general climate of fear preventing them from going to school, consequently raising drop-out rates and teacher absenteeism rates. It might be good to indicate how many school days were missed.
*The indicator is common to two categories of attacks on education: attacks on schools and universities and/or other educational facilities and military use of schools and universities.