Schooling for conflict transformation: A case study from northern Uganda

Abstract

Civil wars are impeding progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. Educational access contributes to peace-building after civil war but little is known about the role of the school curriculum. A framework derived from a synthesis of peace education, human rights education and citizenship education is proposed and then examined through a qualitative case study of eight educational institutions in a district in northern Uganda emerging from a 20-year civil war. The schools promote reconciliation values, develop some problem-solving and communication skills, and reveal some knowledge of human rights. There is little understanding of history, or of local, national and international political/legal systems, and minimal development of discussion and critical thinking skills. It is argued that the framework can be used to investigate other schools and to inform the design of a curriculum that can contribute to conflict transformation, with the ultimate aim of reducing the risk of civil war re-eruption.