STRATEGIC EDUCATION POLICY AND DIGITAL LEADERSHIP IN CONFLICT ZONES: A MULTIREGIONAL SYNTHESIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36080/jsgs.v3i2.60Keywords:
Digital leadership, Displaced learners, Education in emergencies, Human security, Strategic education policyAbstract
Abstract: Over 222 million crisis-affected students worldwide face educational disruption due to armed conflict, displacement, and infrastructure collapse. This study finds determinants of strategic education policy and digital leadership that might guarantee educational continuity during displacement and conflict. The study uses qualitative and desk-based research methodology and four theoretical views to frame the analysis: Human Security Theory, Strategic Educational Leadership, Digital Equity in Crisis between 2018 and 2025, and the Capability Approach. The systematic literature review strategy was applied, as thematic coding was used to select 72 peer-reviewed and institutional sources among some 300 documents reviewed based on a relevant keyword search and relevance criteria. Based on those articles, institutional reports, and corroborating media documents published between 2018 and 2025, the paper provides a synthesis of international experience on the responses of education systems to disruption, political violence, infrastructure breakdown, and digital inequity. Inclusive, trauma-informed models of policy and interventions that a diverse set of blended learning approaches can address can be conceptualized using case examples in Jordan, Colombia, Bangladesh, Gaza, and Ukraine. The findings highlight the limitations of digital tools in fragile contexts marked by connectivity challenges, content bias, and surveillance gaps. The paper argues that emergency education is more of a strategic and moral duty than a noble cause that occurs to fill a service gap based on human rights and development concerns. This study recommends adaptive learning, moral technology use[1], psychological support, and interpersonal education to deal with a crisis. It focuses on conversations about value-based leadership in transforming emergencies into opportunities and developing context- and resilience-centered educational institutions.
Abstrak: Lebih dari 222 juta siswa yang terkena dampak krisis di seluruh dunia menghadapi gangguan pendidikan akibat konflik bersenjata, pengungsian, dan runtuhnya infrastruktur. Studi ini menemukan faktor-faktor penentu kebijakan pendidikan strategis dan kepemimpinan digital yang dapat menjamin kelangsungan pendidikan selama pengungsian dan konflik. Studi ini menggunakan metodologi penelitian kualitatif dan studi literatur serta empat pandangan teoretis untuk membingkai analisis: Teori Keamanan Manusia, Kepemimpinan Pendidikan Strategis, Kesetaraan Digital dalam Krisis antara tahun 2018 dan 2025, dan Pendekatan Kemampuan. Strategi tinjauan literatur sistematis diterapkan, dengan menggunakan pengkodean tematik untuk memilih 72 sumber tinjauan sejawat dan sumber institusional di antara sekitar 300 dokumen yang ditinjau berdasarkan pencarian kata kunci yang relevan dan kriteria relevansi. Berdasarkan artikel-artikel tersebut, laporan-laporan lembaga, dan dokumen media yang menguatkan yang diterbitkan antara tahun 2018 dan 2025, makalah ini memberikan sintesis pengalaman internasional tentang respons sistem pendidikan terhadap gangguan, kekerasan politik, kerusakan infrastruktur, dan ketidaksetaraan digital. Model kebijakan dan intervensi yang inklusif dan berbasis trauma yang dapat diatasi dengan beragam pendekatan pembelajaran campuran dapat dikonseptualisasikan dengan menggunakan contoh kasus di Yordania, Kolombia, Bangladesh, Gaza, dan Ukraina. Temuan ini menyoroti keterbatasan alat digital dalam konteks yang rapuh yang ditandai dengan tantangan konektivitas, bias konten, dan kesenjangan pengawasan. Makalah ini berargumen bahwa pendidikan darurat lebih merupakan. Temuan ini menyoroti keterbatasan alat digital dalam konteks yang rapuh yang ditandai dengan tantangan konektivitas, bias konten, dan kesenjangan pengawasan. Makalah ini berargumen bahwa pendidikan darurat lebih merupakan tugas strategis dan moral daripada tujuan mulia yang terjadi untuk mengisi kesenjangan layanan berdasarkan hak asasi manusia dan masalah pembangunan. Studi ini merekomendasikan pembelajaran adaptif, penggunaan teknologi moral, dukungan psikologis, dan pendidikan interpersonal untuk menghadapi krisis. Studi ini berfokus pada diskusi tentang kepemimpinan berbasis nilai dalam mengubah keadaan darurat menjadi peluang dan mengembangkan lembaga pendidikan yang berpusat pada konteks dan ketahanan.
Downloads
References
Books
Aikman, Sheila, and Elaine Unterhalter. 2017. Gender, Education and Development: Beyond Access to Empowerment. Oxford: Oxfam Education Series.
Dryden-Peterson, Sarah. 2021. Right Where We Belong: How Refugee Teachers and Students Are Changing the Future of Education. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Kirk, Jackie. 2010. Education and Fragile States. Oxford: Symposium Books.
Winthrop, Rebecca, and Lauren Ziegler. 2022. Leapfrogging Inequality: Education Technology in Conflict Settings. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.
World Bank. 2023. Learning in the Face of Crisis: Education Policy for Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
Journal Articles
Anderson, Amy. 2020. “Rebuilding Education Systems After Conflict: The Role of Local Teachers.” Journal of Peace Education 17 (3): 298–314.
Attar, Maha, and Faisal Al-Harbi. 2023. “Education under Siege: The Case of Yemen.” Comparative Education Review 67 (1): 34–58.
Bozkurt, Aras, et al. 2022. “Emergency Remote Teaching in Conflict Zones: Global Lessons.” Asian Journal of Distance Education 17 (1): 12–29.
Dahi, Omar S. 2019. “Education for Displaced Populations in MENA: The Policy Challenge.” Middle East Report 291: 32–40.
Fyle, Charles. 2021. “Learning Beyond the Classroom in Crisis Contexts.” British Journal of Educational Technology 52 (4): 1135–1152.
Khalil, Samar A. 2023. “Strategic Use of Mobile Learning for Displaced Syrian Children in Lebanon.” International Journal of Educational Development 97: 102682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102682.
Menashy, Francine, and Zeena Zakharia. 2022. “Private Actors in Education in Conflict Settings: Ethical Dilemmas and Equity Risks.” Comparative Education 58 (1): 45–61.
Reports and Working Papers
Education Cannot Wait. 2024. Strategic Plan 2023–2026: Education for Children in Crisis. https://www.educationcannotwait.org.
Haider, Huma. 2018. Education and Resilience in Protracted Crises. GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report. Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham.
IIEP-UNESCO. 2023. Crisis-Sensitive Educational Planning: Toolkit for Planners and Policy Makers. Paris: UNESCO.
INEE (Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies). 2023. Education in Emergencies: Policy and Practice Review.
OECD. 2024. Digital Resilience in Education Systems: Insights for Fragile States. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Save the Children. 2023. No Safe Place: Impact of Armed Conflict on Education Infrastructure. https://www.savethechildren.org.
Shah, Ritesh. 2015. “Transforming Education Systems in Fragile Contexts: Why and How?” NORRAG Working Paper Series, no. 2.
UNESCO. 2023. Ensuring Quality Education for Crisis-Affected Children and Youth: Global Monitoring Report.
UNHCR. 2024. Connected Education: Leveraging Technology for Refugee Learning. https://www.unhcr.org.
UNICEF. 2024. Education in Emergencies: Programming in Conflict Zones. https://www.unicef.org/education/emergencies.
News and Media Articles
Reuters. 2025. “Missile Strikes in Israel Disrupt Civilian Life and Education Services.” June 16, 2025. Accessed June 18, 2025. https://www.reuters.com.
Taub, Amanda, and Alissa J. Rubin. 2024. “How War Is Interrupting Education in the Gaza Strip.” The New York Times, June. https://www.nytimes.com.
The Times of India. 2025. “We Came Here to Become Doctors, Not to Survive Missiles.” June 15, 2025. Accessed June 18, 2025. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com.