Learning for Peace: Accelerated Education as a Pathway to Stability and Opportunity for Out-of-School Youth

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

In a world increasingly fractured by conflict, displacement, and inequality, education remains one of the most powerful tools for peacebuilding. Yet, recent data from UNESCO and the Global Education Monitoring Report reveal a troubling rise in the number of out-of-school children and youth—now estimated at 272 million globally, an increase of 21 million from previous counts.
This surge is driven by both insufficient progress in enrollment and improved population modeling that now includes previously uncounted youth in crisis-affected settings.

Adolescents and youth aged 10–24 are disproportionately affected, often excluded from formal education due to poverty, gender-based restrictions, displacement, and systemic barriers. This exclusion not only undermines their personal development but also threatens broader societal stability. Evidence from the Institute for Economics & Peace shows that countries with higher education outcomes—especially secondary school completion and learning-adjusted years of schooling—experience significantly lower rates of internal conflict, violent crime, and political instability. For example, youth not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET) are three times more likely to live in countries with low peace levels compared to their peers in high-peace countries.

Accelerated education programs (AEPs) offer a transformative solution. These programs provide second-chance learning opportunities for out-of-school children and youth , compressing multiple years of curriculum into shorter, intensive formats tailored to learners’ needs. By reconnecting youth to learning, AEPs not only reduce vulnerability to exploitation and violence but also foster agency, resilience, and civic engagement. The benefits of education extend beyond peace. Economically, education is a proven driver of growth. Research shows that every $1 invested in education can yield $10–$15 in economic returns. Secondary education alone could lift 420 million people out of poverty, and each additional year of schooling increases individual earnings by up to 20%. For youth, access to education correlates with greater life satisfaction, improved health outcomes, and more informed decision-making about their futures.

This panel, in alignment with the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies Accelerated Education Working Group, will explore how accelerated education programs serve as a bridge between peacebuilding and economic development in divided societies. Drawing on recent data and field evidence from multiple implementation and research organizations, it will highlight the urgent need to scale AEPs and advocate for their integration into national education strategies. In a time of global funding shifts and rising youth disenfranchisement, AEPs offer a pathway not only to learning, but to peace, prosperity, and personal fulfillment. As we re-examine education’s role in a divided world, this session calls for renewed investment in inclusive, flexible, and context-sensitive models that empower youth to become agents of peace and progress.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Amanda Moll, CARE USA

Individual Presentations

• Learning Assets for a More Peaceful, Inclusive World - Joshua A Muskin, Geneva Global

• Evidence from a 19-year longitudinal study on accelerated education - Amanda Moll, CARE USA; priyanka saxena, CARE

• Scaling Inclusive Education: Lessons from the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange - Hamidou Dodo Boukary, International Development Research Center; Patrick Walugembe

• From access to integration: A framework for building resilience and the long-term success of learners in formal education systems - Giulia Di Filippantonio; Randa Grob, Insights for Education Foundation

Discussant

• Ritesh Shah, University of Auckland