Role of Education in preventing children from being enlisted in armed conflict

Education is an important element in child development. As part of Sustainable Development Goals, education has been mainstreamed in national developing agenda to empower children and to develop their capabilities in making... [ view full abstract ]

Education is an important element in child development. As part of Sustainable Development Goals, education has been mainstreamed in national developing agenda to empower children and to develop their capabilities in making informed decisions. To achieve this, many governments in Africa like Kenya, Tanzania have prioritized education and implemented free primary and secondary education to enable a large number of children access education.
Many a times, extremist groups like Alqaeda have taken advantage of children and lured them into militia groups that brain wash their minds and use them to achieve their destructive agenda. Research has shown that education equips children with knowledge and information that help them make informed decisions. Education liberates children from armed conflicts and helps them to resonate well with normal functioning society.
Parents, governments and the society at large have a role in ensuring children stay in schools and the right virtues and values are passed to them. This ensures, children become advocates of their own rights, stay in school and report to the established and existing systems when approached with such groups.
When children access the right education whether formal or informal, they are equipped with skills like association skills, decision making skills that would prevent them from child exploitation by the extremist groups since they are aware of their rights and well informed on the existing reporting systems.
This paper aims at outlining the role of education in preventing children from being involved in armed conflict identifying existing strategies that have been used to maintain children in school drawing good practices that could be used in war – torn countries like Somalia and prevent children from being involved in such wars but rather be enrolled in schools.