ABSTRACT
Once one of the prime achievements of the region, education has been seriously disrupted by the transition. Schools have had to close in many areas, but the shortage has been most keenly felt in war-torn countries, where many schools have been converted into emergency shelters for refugees and the internally displaced. The dearth of electricity coal, and other fuel has reduced supplies of light and heat to schools. Not only are enrollment rates down—most notably in Southeastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union—but so too are school attendance trends, which have dipped even lower. And, across the region, education services, once free or provided at minimal cost, are now offered at high market prices.
