European Trade Union Committee for Education

This Conference acknowledges that:

1.wars and armed conflicts are a destructive factor that destabilizes many aspects of social life, with a critical impact on the education sector. They change not only the present, but also the future, depriving children of the opportunity to learn, affecting their physical, moral and psycho-emotional state, and exacerbating existing inequalities;

2.all participants in the educational process are forced to overcome the challenges and threats posed by war on a daily basis: forced breaks in education, transition to distance or blended learning, air raids and power outages.

3.educational institutions are forced to adapt to restrictions and threats and face the challenge of ensuring safe places, security and access to education in the most difficult conditions, while suffering extreme damage and destruction;

4.teachers are forced to teach in regions where hostilities are ongoing or close to the war zone, under constant air alerts due to the threat of rocket attacks, blackouts and lack of communication. They bear a heavy burden, including providing a safe environment,inspiring andteaching children andsupporting theirpsychological well-being. Many teachers and children are killed and injured as a result of the hostilities;

5.stress, poormentaland psychological state of students, and constant threats reduce children's ability to learn, which makes it difficult for them to study and succeed in the future;

6.migration and internal displacement leads to new challenges in the education system for both those who remain in the country in war and those who have left.

This Conference believes that:

1.restoring access to education by rebuilding educational infrastructure,improvingeducational environment and learning opportunities in general should be one of the priorities of states in times of armed conflict;

2.international solidarity and assistance play a key role in supporting education in wartime;

3.education in time of war requires coordination and cooperation between state institutions, international communities, local organizations, social workers and independent experts to maximize educational opportunities and protect children in learning environments in conflict and non-conflict countries;

4.education during war requires utmost support through adequate funding, maintenance of infrastructure and provision of equipment so that children, even in the context of hostilities, can receive quality knowledge without hindrance and maintain access to educational opportunities that will contribute to their development and social stability.

5.сonditions should be ensured for psychological and emotional support for students and teachers through social and cultural programs that will promote their emotional and mental health and help them overcome the stress of difficult learning conditions during wars and armed conflicts.

6.measures should be implemented and enforced to ensure safety for all participants in the educational process;

7.teachers should be properly motivated, trained and highly paid to ensure a quality educational process in extremely difficult conditions;

8.accessible and equal opportunities for all participants in the educational process must be ensured to prevent discrimination and inequality of opportunities.

This Conference calls upon:

1.use all available opportunities to bring wars and conflicts to a speedy end on the basis of international law;

2.to use diplomatic and international channels to draw attention to educational needs and to draw the attention of parties to armed conflicts to the unacceptability of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including educational infrastructure;

3.strengthen international solidarity and ensure coordination of efforts to support the education system in countries during wartime and in the recovery period;

4.take measures in host countries to ensure that war refugee children have access to quality free education;

5.prevent the use of education to spread propaganda and justify aggression and the seizure of territories and violation of international norms;

6.to introduce inpubliceducational programs a more in-depth study of the concepts of peace, tolerance, respect for ethnic, racial, religious, cultural diversity, the mechanisms of patriotism, national identity, territorial integrity and sovereignty in order to build a holistic understanding of the culture of peace for the common good and to prevent bloody conflicts in the future.