No Pause in Learning: Systemic Responses to Crisis-Affected Education

When emergencies hit or crises drag on, education systems are often among the first to falter and the last to recover. Schools may be closed, destroyed or occupied, teachers displaced, and government ministries overwhelmed. Yet for millions of children and youth affected by conflict, disaster, displacement or chronic instability, education is not just a human right — it’s a lifeline. Education is a source of protection, psychosocial stability and hope for the future.

How can we make sure education doesn't stop when crises begin?

At Helvetas, our answer lies in inclusive systems thinking. This approach adapts how education is delivered and governed, while laying the groundwork for more resilient futures. This blog explores how education systems can and must adapt in the face of crisis, and shares examples from Helvetas’ work to illustrate how change is possible — even in the most difficult environments.

Crisis disrupts, but systems adapt

In emergencies, the basic functions of education systems — such as teaching, assessments, curriculum implementation, school management and financing — are often deeply disrupted. Teachers may flee to safer areas, students are displaced or drop out, and central coordination becomes challenging. In such situations, community members, civil society groups or humanitarian actors frequently step in to keep education going. But if these efforts are not coordinated with existing systems, they can fuel fragmentation and increase inequity.

That’s why Helvetas begins by mapping the system — even in a crisis. We ask: Who is still providing which services? Which functions (like teacher management or curriculum adaptation) are still running and which have collapsed? Who is financing education delivery, and how? Identifying the remaining capacities and gaps helps us work with partners to restore functionality and maintain a sense of structure within education systems, even those under immense pressure.

Flexible delivery to ensure continuity

Which approach works best depends heavily on the type of crisis. In sudden-onset emergencies like natural disasters, the priority is to restore access to education within the first few months, either through temporary learning spaces, distant education or school rehabilitation. It is essential to plan for long-term recovery from the beginning, including preparing handovers to education authorities and partners and building in elements like disaster preparedness and risk reduction.

In Morocco, the devastating earthquake in September 2023 left thousands of families without safe homes or access to basic services. Helvetas supported efforts to resume education by rehabilitating school infrastructure in remote villages that were not prioritized by the government's response. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, Helvetas distributed radio transistors to help children access educational programs broadcast by the education department.

In contexts with active conflict, protecting education becomes paramount. Schools, students and teachers often become targets of violence. Conflict-sensitive approaches must therefore be embedded to safeguard learning environments and support social cohesion. Education must be coordinated with protection actors to create safe spaces and enable continued learning.

In conflict-affected areas of central Myanmar, for instance, Helvetas supported community-based learning centers and trained community teachers to deliver basic education. We also equipped them with tablets and digital content to help children continue learning, even when face-to-face teaching was disrupted. Yet digital tools are not a silver bullet. We quickly learned that they must be paired with ongoing teacher support, peer learning and monitoring systems to be truly effective.

In protracted displacement settings, the challenges are different. Children may have been out of school for long periods. Here, the focus is on integrating them into existing national systems and addressing barriers such as language and/or curricula differences, lack of documentation or financial constraints. Coordination with protection actors, development partners and authorities is key to ensuring sustainable and accredited pathways to learning.

In Pakistan, the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan led to a significant influx of Afghan refugees seeking safety and livelihoods. While Afghan children theoretically have access to public schools, barriers remain that made integration difficult, such as differences in curricula, legal and administrative hurdles, and a lack of coordination mechanisms. Helvetas supports education access for Afghan children through community-driven education initiatives. By coordinating closely with local authorities and humanitarian partners, Helvetas helps uphold education as a protective right, even amid displacement and uncertainty.

And in mixed migration contexts where children may be moving across borders or living in transit, the situation demands even more flexibility. These learners are often invisible in official data and excluded from national systems due to their mobility or lack of status.

Helvetas has piloted inclusive education strategies for migrants in West and North Africa. Innovative surveys have shown that, despite extended stays in transit cities, education is often the most urgent unmet need, ahead of food or healthcare. On the demand side, young migrants may lack the time, desire or resources for education. On the supply side, despite efforts to be inclusive, systems often fall short due to capacity constraints. Leaving no learner behind involves influencing both demand (e.g., persuading migrants to delay departure for school) and adapting supply (e.g., flexible administrative processes).

Reducing dependency and building future resilience

Crises often compel actors to set up temporary or parallel education systems. But we believe a more sustainable path lies in working with — not around — existing national education structures. Rather than developing separate services, we co-design education responses that could be gradually integrated into national frameworks.

In eastern Myanmar, we collaborate closely with ethnic education authorities, some of whom have well-established education systems operating independently of the national government. By aligning our support with their structures, we are able to increase legitimacy, build trust and improve coordination across governance levels.

Emergency responses must do more than fill immediate gaps — they should plant the seeds for long-term sustainability. That means identifying models that can be scaled or absorbed by national actors over time. From the beginning, we ask these sustainability questions: Who will take over this program when we leave? How will it be financed? What accountability systems need to be built or strengthened?

In west and southeastern Myanmar, instead of delivering short-term services directly to beneficiaries, our newest project focuses on enabling local actors to develop their own sustainable business models for education and vocational training. Non-formal education providers are supported to strengthen and diversify their revenue models. The project also pilots digital tools, such as community libraries and online career guidance services, with scalable business models.

In Pakistan, Helvetas demonstrates how education interventions can be designed to bridge emergency response and long-term development. Our projects address the immediate learning and protection needs of Afghan refugee children and vulnerable host communities through non-formal education, mental health and psychosocial support, and community mobilization. At the same time, we work closely with local education authorities and co-actors to align with national frameworks, support teachers, adapt appropriate methodologies, and create pathways for integration into the formal schooling system, ensuring that interventions not only meet urgent needs but also built foundations for sustainable education services in displacement-affected settings.

Embracing inclusion and conflict transformation at all levels

Emergencies often deepen existing inequalities. Girls, children with disabilities, ethnic or linguistic minorities, and mobile learners all face additional challenges in accessing quality education. Helvetas designs programs that address diverse needs. In all our projects, we work to ensure that learning materials are available in local languages, that teaching methods are adapted for learners with disabilities, that all facilities are inclusive and accessible to children with disabilities,   and that girls’ participation is supported through gender-sensitive infrastructure and policies.

In crisis-affected contexts, education must also contribute to peace and social cohesion, particularly where divisions, trauma or distrust threaten recovery and stability. In Myanmar, Pakistan and the Kyrgyzstan, we promote peace education and social cohesion through inclusive curricula, community-based activities and training for teachers on trauma-informed pedagogy. In all these cases, education became a tool for healing and dialogue, not just academic instruction.

Crises will continue — and so must education

Emergencies and protracted crises are not exceptions. They are the reality for a growing share of the world's children and youth. Education systems must therefore be designed to absorb shocks, adapt to changing circumstances, and continue delivering quality learning, even in the face of disruption.

Helvetas remains committed to supporting education systems that can both withstand crises and contribute to long-term development. Our nexus thinking guides us to ensure that any action taken during a crisis — be it rehabilitating a school, training a teacher, or piloting a new delivery model — is more than just a temporary fix. Because when crises strike, the real question isn't just how we respond, it's how we prepare, sustain and transform education so that every learner can thrive, now and in the future.

About the Authors

Nicolas Cacciuttolo is a Senior Advisor for Education at Helvetas.

Irshad Ali is a National Programme Officer at Helvetas Pakistan.

Asad Salim is a National Programme Officer at Helvetas Pakistan.