Summary

• In 2002, civil war broke out in Côte d’Ivoire, dividing communities and destroying already fragile public institutions, including its education system. While the education sector in Côte d’Ivoire was clearly a victim of the civil war, which raged until late 2004, it was also a catalyst for the conflict.
• The underlying causes of the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire are multiple and complex. In regard to the role played by education, the problem rested less with the curriculum, which was the same across the country, and more with access to and coordination and allocation of resources, which were unequally distributed by region.
• Such education-based inequalities exacerbated frustrations and more importantly created the space for violent political and social contestations, which have opened the road to the politicization of education and fueled the conflict.
• The conflict seriously damaged an already struggling education system, relegating education to the bottom of the national priority list and preventing thousands of  stakeholders--both students and teachers--from gaining access to it.
• It is important to think beyond previous interventions, which saw education as a strategy for poverty reduction, and embrace those efforts that recognize the intricate relationship between education and conflict.
• Interventions in Côte d’Ivoire’s education system should not only address those issues related to coordination, capacity building, resources, curriculum, and access,  but also those issues related to peace and conflict.
• The government of Côte d’Ivoire should take the lead in such education-sector interventions and request technical and financial support from specialized international institutions, NGOs, and financial institutions.

About the Author

This report studies the relationship between conflict and education in Côte d’Ivoire, and suggests policy and program approaches for analysts and those engaged with education and peacebuilding in societies affected by conflict. Although the situation in Côte d’Ivoire has evolved since the main recommendations of this report were written in early 2008, the report, which was funded by the United States Institute of Peace’s Education and Training Center, provides useful insights for interventions aimed at strengthening education within the country.

Joseph Sany is a consultant in post-conflict reconstruction and community development. He has worked with various international and local organizations in conducting research, carrying out program assessments, and facilitating workshops in numerous countries, including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Senegal, Liberia, and Somalia. He is currently a PhD candidate at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy.