Schools are attacked for they are seen as representing the State itself. This is the reason why at the time of violence, education becomes the first casualty. Destroying school infrastructure, threatening teachers and inculcating fear in students are direct attacks on the State
The news of burning down of more than 25 schools across Kashmir by terrorists recently not grabbing the attention of the nation is a telling comment on the nature of our ignorance to the plight of children in conflict zones. This ignorance is not only of the State, but of the media and the academics as well. It is the collective blindness to the future of these children and lack of responsibility to give them a secured schooling. That was why the news was pushed to the insignificant space/time by the news media and evoked little response from the State or the civil society.
Since the present unrest started in the Valley in July following the encounter killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, it was for the first time that its impact of conflict on young children could be imagined through the terror attacks on schools. This is despite the fact the schools have remained either shut or have struggled to operate for more than five months. In fact, it is not only schools in Kashmir that are on fire. Higher education has taken an equal beating, with universities and technical institutes bearing the brunt of the conflict and delaying the start of their semester classes.
That the State has acted too late and too little in this matter is evident. The BJP-led Government at the Centre has only sent a delegation to involve all parties concerned towards reaching an agreement and allowing schools to function. Till the J&K High Court directed the State to protect the schools, the Government was watching like a helpless spectator and making statements devoid of a plan of action. The State Government itself has not thought of a constructive policy that could address the concerns of students in conflict. The State has no policy towards keeping schools, its students and teachers safe during conflict. New reports that the State has asked teachers to guard schools with night shifts tell the sordid tale of State’s lack of know-how and responsibility towards education in the Valley.
The media, on the other hand, ignored the raging fire in schools by keeping the focus on the “pellets” politics. Our ignorance towards students in violence-hit zones is also reflected in academics, where research on long-term impacts and negative consequences of armed conflicts or communal violence are rarely studied. Yet, a miniscule research reveals the depth of such conflicts. It is a known but swept under the carpet; students in conflict zones like Chhattisgarh and Manipur suffer educationally due to either destruction of school infrastructure, taking over of schools by soldiers or rebels, or day-to-day violence itself where being safety becomes more important than going to school. Students are also known to have to walk long distances to schools which are often relocated to peaceful areas. Many, thus, are left with no choice but to drop out, or move to bigger cities in cases where they can afford to do so. Rather, it will be a disregard to students to refer to them as dropouts. It is nothing but a systemic push-out of students from schools and preventing them from aspiring for a better future. Gender becomes significant in such situations because the first victims in such cases are usually girls whose protection becomes the foremost concerns for their parents.
However, these researches are rare to come by as was the news of burning of schools across Kashmir. But why schoolsIJ This is only because in conflict zones, schools often become the sole representatives of peace. These are spaces which, despite loss, destruction and shutdowns, offer the possibility of approaching normality. Schools are attacked for they are seen as representing the State itself, particularly in its ideology. This is the reason why at the time of violence, education becomes the first casualty. Destroying school infrastructure, threatening teachers and inculcating fear in students and the larger attack on education are direct attacks on the State itself.
While infrastructure is not the only reason for dropout in access to schools, one look at the larger picture will reveal the extent of the damage that is caused to the future of students when access to school is blocked. Research from countries like Syria, Sudan, Rwanda or Afghanistan shows that students who drop out or are forced to do so during periods of conflict suffer in all other human indicators throughout life, be it health (both physical and emotional), adult wages or productivity. They are inevitably caught in a cycle of depression, discrimination and poverty.
By no means should education be seen as a resolution to all these issues. Nothing works in isolation. Therefore, complimentary social, political and economic initiatives are required to undo the destructive effects of violence on the educational lives of young children. Attacks on schools, keeping in mind its long-term effects on students, who will grow up without an education, need to be recognised as crimes against the State. This has to be done before schools become battlefields.
We still know too little about students in armed conflict. Thus it is easy to make generalisations about them. Those who claim schools are being burnt to encourage students to take up arms have made little distinction between students exposed to conflict and those who are participating in it. Not everyone is participating. This still leaves space for taking up collective responsibility rather than adopting collective blindness.
(The writer is a PhD scholar at Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, JNU)