ABSTRACT
In considering the relationship between conflict and education, however, there has been growing awareness and consensus from elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa that education can just as easily contribute to conflict as it can prevent it (Bush and Saltarelli, 2000; Burde, 2014; King, 2013). As a preventative measure, Thyne (2006) has found that the provision of education can create social cohesion while mitigating inequalities. Education can also have other positive effects, such as improved economic growth and improved health outcomes (Hanushek and Woessmann, 2012; Peña, Wall, and Persson, 2000; UNESCO, 2013). However, education – particularly in the form of unequal access to schooling – can also lead to negative outcomes. Countries with a ‘youth bulge’ and a lack of access to education are at a higher risk of conflict (Barakat and Urdal, 2009; Collier and Hoeffler, 2004). This was indeed the case in Sierra Leone when youth who did not complete primary education were found to be much more likely to rebel (Humphreys and Weinstein, 2008). Negative content or curricula can also breed intolerance and attitudes towards violence (King, 2013; Shafiq and Sinno, 2010).
