Bridging Divides: A Qualitative Case Study of Education for Reconciliation in a Post-Conflict BARMM Public Elementary Schools in Tawi-Tawi

• In Event: Language, Identity, and Schooling in Protracted Conflict: Comparative Perspectives on Educational Transformation

Proposal

Introduction
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), established through the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014 and formalized by the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 2018. In a post-conflict setting like BARMM, reconciliation poses a major challenge, as conflict stems from deep-rooted issues such as historical exclusion, cultural misunderstanding, political marginalization, and systemic inequalities, leading to enduring complex challenges.
According to Barrios-Tao et al. (2017), one of the ways to succeed in the post-conflict process is through education. The Bangsamoro Education Code integrated the Bangsamoro people’s history, culture, and identity into the curriculum at all levels, as a transitional justice approach towards healing and reconciliation.
Despite the growing scholarly attention to peace education and reconciliation, significant gaps in the literature remain in understanding a localized educational intervention in underserved areas like Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. Current literature emphasizes access to education in remote island settings, teacher training on children's rights, feeding programs, or madrasah development, but rarely delves into reconciliation-focused interventions in public schools. This study investigates how educators contribute to fostering education for reconciliation and social unity in a challenging post-conflict context and examines the subsequent research questions:

1. How do teachers in post-conflict BARMM public elementary schools in Bongao apply educational interventions to foster reconciliation in students’ attitudes, behaviors, and relationships?
2. What specific teaching strategies and resources do these teachers utilize to promote reconciliation and intergroup understanding among students in this context?

Literature Review

Education transforms mindsets and rebuilds social relations in post-conflict countries, with teachers acting as key agents of change (Rubagiza et al., 2016). Experts emphasize education's role in sustainable peacebuilding (Abbey & Wansink, 2022).
Berowa's (2023) study on BARMM educators found that teachers often see themselves as conduits of knowledge, building structural foundations for peace but not necessarily dismantling the conditions that perpetuate conflict. Research suggests that peer and school norms regarding intergroup contact influence children's attitudes towards outgroup members, and school climate shapes intergroup relations (Pavin Ivanec et al., 2023). Ristiwantoro (2025) emphasizes that children can learn that conflict does not determine their future. Jakaria et al. (2025) found that culturally responsive pedagogy in diverse classrooms increased student engagement, relevance, clarity, and cognitive stimulation. Another study suggests that the teaching methods of conciliation and mediation for resolving conflicts in classroom environments equip educators with alternatives to conventional punishment approaches, promoting respect and tolerance amongst students (Gallego et al., 2023).

Findings
The preliminary findings indicate successful methods for incorporating reconciliation into the curriculum and modifying interventions for the post-conflict setting. Addressing challenges in fostering intergroup awareness among students is a primary emphasis. Likewise, the teaching strategies and materials employed, as well as the community's participation, are expected to be significant factors. The study highlights the importance of a culturally responsive and context-specific approach and considers the limitation on geographical scope, as it focused on elementary public schools in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, BARMM. The results may have implications for the applicability across other provinces and regions. Nonetheless, the results may offer valuable insights related to education for reconciliation.
The results of the study may contribute to the limited literature on education for reconciliation in the post-conflict setting, specifically in the BARMM region of the Philippines. It provides a shade of information to enhance understanding on the challenges and opportunities in promoting peace and social cohesion through education in a complex post-conflict environment.

Authors

• Kharsum Mohammad, Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi (MSU-TCTO)

• Nilo Jayoma Castulo, Mindanao State University TCTO

• Jocelyn Agraviador Pajiji, Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography

• Alhisan Jemsy, Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography