Protecting the Classroom: Analysis of Teacher-Led Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Attacks in Rural Colombia

• In Event: From Testimony to Justice: Linking Evidence, Law, and Practice to Address Attacks on Education in Divided Societies

Proposal

Despite 2016 peace accords and ongoing ceasefire negotiations, conflict violence in rural Colombia continues to place students and teachers at risk. Reports of shootouts near schools, threats against teachers, child recruitment along school routes, and the occupation of schools by armed groups and government forces are common. This study examines the multifaceted impacts of attacks on education, teacher-led strategies to prevent and respond to these attacks, and demands for justice. The focus is on incidents that occurred between 2020 and 2025.

Using a mixed-methods approach, this research is based on a large-scale survey of more than 800 educators in four conflict-affected departments. 500 head teachers shared responses about their schools (both those that were attacked and those that were not), while 300 educators spoke about their own experiences with conflict violence (if any). The study employed trained interviewers from affected communities who used KoboToolbox to collect quantitative and qualitative data, including audio recordings. This methodology prioritized the safety and wellbeing of participants and captured nuanced qualitative insights.

Findings indicate that attacks on education severely disrupt learning, with girl students and those from Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities disproportionately affected. Teachers were also highly affected; for instance, approximately 25% of teachers at attacked schools reported signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The research also highlights key teacher priorities for prevention and response, which include mental health support, safe and speedy relocation of teachers after receiving threats, and safer school buildings and routes. Furthermore, analysis of qualitative survey responses reveal a demand among teachers for justice, guarantees of rights, and assurances of non-repetition as part of the Colombian peace process.

This research engages the academic literature on civilians self-protection strategies (Jose and Medie 2016), as well as the literature on education dampening conflict (Burde 2014) and the role of teachers in defending rights during the Colombian conflict (Novelli 2010). Beyond that, the study provides useful analyses for policymakers and humanitarians, particularly concerning prevention and response measures and calls for justice and peace from teachers.

Author

• Jerome Marston, Kobo