It is impossible to overstate the importance of education. Education unlocks opportunities, setting the foundation for economic, personal and social success. Above all, education is life saving. But delivering education is not without its challenges—high among them, the safety and resilience of students, educators and the system itself. Countries can and should tackle this challenge head on by implementing a comprehensive approach to school safety.

But how many countries are doing this and in which ways?

This is the question we’re trying to answer through the Comprehensive School Safety Policy Survey—an ambitious but essential new project from the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES) supported by Prudence Foundation.

What Is Comprehensive School Safety?

Comprehensive school safety when broken down means:

  • Comprehensive: an all-hazards approach encompassing conflict and violence, climate-induced, environmental, health, technological and other threats as well as their compounding effects.
  • School: all learning environments and the students and educators within them.
  • Safety: protection and resilience against these threats.

The outcome of comprehensive school safety is that all students and educators have access to continuous quality education in a safe environment.

Why Does This Framework Matter?

Every child has the right to a quality education. Yet in 2022/23, an average of 8 attacks on education were recorded daily.

Right now, 224 million children affected by crisis are in urgent need of education support. And as we look ahead, 1 billion children live in countries at extremely high risk to the climate crisis.

Behind these numbers are real children with real rights, real dreams and real futures.

Education is also a powerful force for positive change. Investments in resilient schools and education systems can reduce climate risks for 275 million children. Education promotes peaceful societies and economic prosperity. It is the foundation for the future of children, families and communities.

Whatever the threat, governments and organizations can and must take action to mitigate risks, support education continuity and harness the power of learning. And comprehensive school safety offers a structured approach to system resilience.

Read the full article about comprehensive school safety by Anja Nielsen, Maija Lyytinen, Sokratis Vlachakis and Nadia Zaidi at Global Partnership for Education.