Education Under Attack 2024

A report by Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack

She always said, Even if I am killed, let it be in the name of education. In Afghanistan, an explosive was detonated at the Kaaj private tutoring center in Kabul, killing at least 54 people and injuring at least 114, most of whom were Hazara women and girls, in September 2022. The father of a 19-year-old killed in the blast said that his daughter understood the risks but nonetheless attended classes.[*] Ali M Latifi, "‘If I am killed, let it be in the name of education.’," The New Humanitarian, October 6, 2023. UN General Assembly and Security Council, "The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security - Report of the Secretary-General A/77/636-S/2022/916," December 7, 2022, para. 34. "Security Council Press Statement on Attacks against Educational Centre in Kabul," United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan press statement, September 30, 2022. "Afghanistan: UN condemns ‘callous’ suicide attack on education centre," UN News, September 30, 2022.

Education under Attack 2024

A global study of attacks on schools, universities, their students and staff, in 2022 and 2023

Attacks on education are frequent and widespread. From Palestine to Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ukraine, students and teachers are killed, raped, and abducted, while schools and universities are bombed, burned down, and used for military purposes.

In the 28 countries profiled in this report, at least ten attacks on education occurred over the past two years.

Spike in Attacks

In 2022 and 2023, there were around 6,000 reported attacks on education and incidents of military use of schools and universities, harming more than 10,000 students and educators globally. On average, eight attacks on education were recorded daily.

Attacks on education and military use increased by nearly 20 percent in 2022 and 2023 compared to the two previous years.

A young student writes on a blackboard damaged by bullets in North Kivu, DRC, in September 2023.

© UNICEF/UNI481106/Vigné

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Most Affected Countries

In 2022 and 2023, the highest numbers of attacks on education were recorded in Palestine, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Myanmar. In each country, hundreds of schools were threatened, looted, burned, targeted with improvised explosive devices, or hit by shelling or airstrikes.

Meanwhile, India, Pakistan, Palestine, and Afghanistan had high reported numbers of people harmed or killed in attacks on education. In some cases, students or educators were injured or killed in attacks on schools and universities, while in others they were targeted in abductions or arrests or harmed while en route to or from school or university.

The Al-Fakhoora educational facility in Al Rimal neighborhood, Gaza, Palestine, was attacked on October 10, 2023, in an early morning bombing.

© 2023 Education Above All Foundation

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New Countries Affected

Two countries not included in the previous report are profiled in this one, Egypt and Kyrgyzstan. More than ten cases of the military use of schools or universities were recorded in Egypt, while over 20 schools were damaged or destroyed in Kyrgyzstan.

A burnt-out kindergarten in Ak-Sai village, Kyrgyzstan. The village saw widespread looting and destruction while briefly under the control of Tajik forces on September 16, 2022.

© 2022 Jean-Baptise Gallopin/Human Rights Watch.

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Attacks On the Rise

Attacks on education increased in Ukraine, Sudan, Palestine, Syria, and Nigeria in 2022 and 2023, as compared to the previous two years.

A school and an internally displaced people's refuge site were damaged in West Darfur, Sudan, on April 27 and 28, 2023.

© 2023 Save the Children

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Drop In Attacks Elsewhere

In Central African Republic (CAR), Libya, Mali, and Mozambique attacks on education decreased during this reporting period, as compared to 2020 and 2021. These countries experienced shifts in conflict dynamics, including conflict de-escalation.

Students learn at a re-opened school in Mali in 2023. Schools in Mali have been attacked and closed due to insecurity in recent years.

© 2023 UNICEF

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Occupation of Schools in 30 Countries

Globally, armed forces and non-state armed groups increasingly occupied schools and universities to use them as bases, barracks, firing positions, and weapons stores, among other non-educational purposes. Incidents of military use of educational facilities increased in 2022 and 2023, rising to over 1,000 incidents.

The damaged playground of the town kindergarten in Bohdanivka, Ukraine, on June 25, 2022. In March 2022, Russian forces stored munitions and parked military vehicles at the kindergarten, which was later destroyed in unclear circumstances.

© 2022 Human Rights Watch

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Some Groups Uniquely Impacted By Attacks

Girls and women were reportedly targeted because of their gender in attacks on education in at least ten countries. Female students and teachers or their education facilities were targeted in an attempt to prevent them from receiving an education in certain contexts, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Students with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students; and students from Indigenous and ethnic minority communities faced greater vulnerabilities and were uniquely impacted by attacks on education.

In October 2022, a Hazara girl cries as she reaches the bench she was sitting on during an attack on an education center in Kabul, Afghanistan.

© Ebrahim Noroozi, AP

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Increasing Use of Explosives

Explosive weapons were used in around one-third of all reported attacks on education in 2022 and 2023. Attacks included airstrikes, rockets, and artillery shelling, as well as the use of improvised explosive devices and landmines, in countries such as Colombia, Myanmar, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.

After an explosion hit his school in Northeast Syria, Hussain (in first grade at the time) was left with severe visual impairment. Out of school for several years, Hussain was able to begin learning again in 2022.

© 2022 Muhannad Khaled / Save the Children

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Hope and Progress

Six new countries endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration after the publication of Education under Attack 2022. As of February 2024, a total of 119 governments have committed to protecting education in situations of armed conflict.

Recently rehabilitated Al Zyadi School in Lahj, Yemen, in January 2022. In previous years, the school was impacted by the conflict.

© UNICEF/UN0580134/Gabreez

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Full List

Afghanistan

GCPEA identified over 140 attacks on schools, school students, and education personnel during the 2022-2023 reporting period. Also, the Taliban was responsible for a number of attacks on higher education, particularly affecting female students and staff; at least 98 higher education students and staff were arrested or detained. In addition, incidents of the military use of schools and universities increased.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Very Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 267

Students and educators harmed: 464

Burkina Faso

Attacks on education continued at a high rate in the 2022-2023 reporting period, with over 270 attacks on schools. In addition, GCPEA identified reports of the military use of schools, as well as reports of attacks against higher education students.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 308

Students and educators harmed: 37

Cameroon

Attacks on education continued during the 2022-2023 reporting period, predominantly in North-West and South-West regions. GCPEA identified attacks on schools and school students, teachers, and education personnel, as well as an incident of sexual violence on the way to or from school. In addition, GCPEA identified cases of military use in Far North region.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 120

Students and educators harmed: 186

Central African Republic

Attacks on schools and military use of schools continued during this reporting period, although at a reduced rate compared to 2020 and 2021. GCPEA identified at least 40 cases of military use of schools or attacks on schools perpetrated by state armed forces, other security personnel, and non-state armed groups in 2022 and 2023.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 51

Students and educators harmed: 3

Colombia

Attacks on schools, military use of educational facilities, and child recruitment at, or on the way to or from, school increased in 2022 and 2023 as Colombia experienced armed violence. Despite ceasefire and peace negotiations between the government and several armed groups, attacks on education occurred across at least one third of the departments in Colombia, with Antioquia, Cauca, Norte de Santander, and Valle del Cauca some of the most affected.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 181

Students and educators harmed: 113

Democratic Republic of the Congo

GCPEA collected over 430 attacks on schools in 2022 and 2023, with North Kivu, Ituri, and Mai-Ndombe provinces particularly affected. In addition to attacks on schools, GCPEA collected reports of schools being used for military purposes, and armed groups recruiting students from schools or along school routes. Attacks on higher education students and staff also continued.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Very Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 508

Students and educators harmed: 71

Egypt

GCPEA identified at least 13 reports of the military use of schools within the context of the armed conflict in North Sinai governorate during the reporting period, as well as one attack on teachers and one attack on higher education students.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 12

Students and educators harmed: 20

Ethiopia

Attacks on schools and universities, and their military use, continued in 2022 and 2023. GCPEA identified more than 90 reports of attacks on schools, particularly in northern Tigray, Afar, Amhara, and Benishangul-Gumuz states or regions. The Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front signed a “cessation of hostilities” agreement in November 2022, although conflict resumed in Amhara in August 2023.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 131

Students and educators harmed: 389

India

Attacks on schools continued in several eastern states during the 2022-2023 reporting period. GCPEA also identified at least 55 incidents of attacks on school students and teachers, primarily involving the use of excessive force during education-related protests. Attacks on higher education students and personnel increased slightly in 2022 and 2023 as compared to the previous reporting period.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Very Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 146

Students and educators harmed: 4161

Iraq

Attacks on education continued in several regions of Iraq in 2022 and 2023, with a decline in the final months of the reporting period. As in previous years, explosives were used in attacks on schools, and police continued to use excessive force during education-related protests. The military use of schools increased compared to the previous reporting period.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 66

Students and educators harmed: 147

Kenya

Schools in the northeast of the country faced attacks by suspected non-state armed group fighters. In addition, attacks on school students and teachers persisted at a similar rate in 2022 and 2023 as compared to the previous two years. Police continued to use excessive force during higher education protests.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 18

Students and educators harmed: 72

Kyrgyzstan

During a brief escalation of hostilities between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in September 2022, more than 20 schools and kindergartens were damaged or destroyed by fighting. At least one school was used for military purposes.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 24

Students and educators harmed: 0

Libya

Attacks on education continued in Libya in 2022 and 2023, particularly in and around Tripoli. Attacks on schools declined slightly compared to the previous reporting period, while the military use of schools and attacks on higher education continued sporadically.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 18

Students and educators harmed: 8

Mali

GCPEA identified over 90 reported attacks on schools in Mali in 2022 and 2023. Attacks on schools decreased while actual or threatened attacks against school personnel and students, as well as the military use of schools, remained sporadic.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 107

Students and educators harmed: 10

Mozambique

Attacks on education continued in Mozambique in 2022 and 2023, although fewer attacks were identified than during the previous reporting period. Attacks on schools continued, and GCPEA identified incidents of their use for military purposes.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 24

Students and educators harmed: 0

Myanmar

As armed conflicts continued in Myanmar following the February 2021 military takeover, attacks on schools and universities and the military use of educational facilities continued at a high rate during the 2022-2023 reporting period. GCPEA identified over 245 reports of attacks on schools and at least 190 reports of military use.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Very Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 490

Students and educators harmed: 278

Niger

Attacks on education continued in Niger in 2022 and 2023, particularly in Tillabéri region, although fewer attacks were identified than during the previous reporting period. Some attacks on schools and on students, teachers, and education personnel involved the use of explosive weapons. The military use of schools continued, and GCPEA identified attacks on higher education, as well as one incident of sexual violence.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 30

Students and educators harmed: 14

Nigeria

In 2022 and 2023, attacks on schools in Nigeria persisted in the context of armed conflict in northeastern states due to the presence of non-state armed groups, as well as armed violence in northwestern and northcentral states due to pastoralist-farmer tensions. Military use of schools, particularly by non-state armed groups, increased as compared to the previous reporting period, while attacks on school students and teachers decreased slightly.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 210

Students and educators harmed: 134

Pakistan

Attacks on schools and school students and staff continued in 2022 and 2023, some of which targeted girls’ education. In addition, over 540 teachers were detained in attacks on school students and personnel. Attacks on higher education, in particular arrests and abductions, affected over 140 students and staff. As in previous reporting periods, attacks on education included the use of explosive weapons.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Very Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 47

Students and educators harmed: 773

Palestine

Attacks against education increased sharply during the 2022-2023 reporting period. Attacks peaked amid hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip in late 2023, when over 350 schools were damaged. Many attacks on schools involved the use of explosive weapons. The military use of schools, as well as attacks on higher education, also continued.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Very Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 1070

Students and educators harmed: 690

The Philippines

In 2022 and 2023, attacks on education in the Philippines were primarily concentrated on the islands of Mindanao and Masbate. As in previous years, attacks on students and educators occurred sporadically. Reports of attacks on schools increased.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 32

Students and educators harmed: 6

Somalia

During the 2022-2023 reporting period, GCPEA identified at least 80 attacks on schools and against school students and personnel, as well as the military use of schools. At least 121 civilians were killed in one attack alone targeting education in 2022.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 92

Students and educators harmed: 20

South Sudan

Fighting continued in South Sudan during the reporting period, despite the signing of peace accords in 2018. Attacks on, and military use of, schools increased in 2022 and 2023 compared to previous years. GCPEA also identified a report of sexual violence along a school route and two reports of attacks on higher education.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 93

Students and educators harmed: 74

Sudan

Attacks on schools and universities, as well as their use for military purposes, increased during the reporting period, in particular after conflict erupted in April 2023. In 2022 and 2023, GCPEA identified reports of at least 62 attacks on schools and at least 28 attacks on higher education, as well as an incident of sexual violence at a university.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 123

Students and educators harmed: 35

Syria

GCPEA identified over 100 attacks on schools, students and teachers, as well as the military use of dozens of schools, mostly in northwest Syria. GCPEA also collected reports of the recruitment of students at, or on the way to or from, school.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Affected

Total incidents: 192

Students and educators harmed: 48

Türkiye

Attacks on education continued in Türkiye in 2022 and 2023. In addition to attacks on schools, GCPEA collected reports of attacks on school teachers and personnel. Attacks on higher education continued, mainly in the context of protest repression, with over 200 students and staff arrested or detained.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 31

Students and educators harmed: 285

Ukraine

After the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, attacks on education in Ukraine increased significantly compared to the previous reporting period. In 2022 and 2023, at least 700 attacks on schools were reported, with the east and south particularly affected; many of the attacks involved explosive weapons including airstrikes, missile strikes, and shelling. Schools and universities were also used for military purposes during the 2022-2023 reporting period.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Very Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 810

Students and educators harmed: 59

Yemen

At least 55 attacks on schools and higher education facilities occurred during the 2022-2023 reporting period, many involving the use of explosive weapons, including airstrikes, shelling, and the emplacement of improvised explosive devices. Around 100 educational facilities were also used for military purposes. In addition, GCPEA identified reports of child recruitment and sexual violence at, or on the way to or from, educational institutions.

Reported Attack Types:

  • Attacks on schools
  • Attacks on students & staff
  • Military use of schools
  • Child recruitment
  • Attacks on higher education
  • Targeted attacks on girls & women
  • Sexual violence

Statistics (2020-2021)

Severity: Heavily Affected

Total incidents: 297

Students and educators harmed: 156

Recommendations

GCPEA recommends the following to address attacks on education and the military use of schools and universities:

  • Parties to armed conflict should immediately cease attacks on education.
  • Governments should endorse, implement, and support the Safe Schools Declaration to ensure that all students and educators can learn and teach in safety.
  • Armed forces and armed groups should avoid using schools and universities for military purposes, including by using the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.
  • Parties to conflict should avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas, including near schools or universities or along routes to or from them, and develop operational policy based on a presumption against such use.
  • Governments and monitoring bodies should strengthen monitoring and reporting of attacks on education.
  • Governments and international justice institutions should promptly and impartially investigate attacks on education and prosecute those responsible.
  • Where feasible, governments should maintain safe access to education during armed conflict.
  • Education providers should “build back better” after attacks on education and ensure funding not only to repair but to improve schools and universities and make them safer and more inclusive to all students and educators.

View the report for a full set of recommendations.

Acknowledgements

This study is published by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), which was formed in 2010 by organizations working in the fields of education in emergencies and conflict-affected contexts, higher education, protection, and international human rights and humanitarian law that were concerned about ongoing attacks on educational institutions, their students, and staff in countries affected by conflict and insecurity. GCPEA is a project of the Tides Center, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Education under Attack 2024 is the result of independent research conducted by GCPEA. It is independent of the individual member organizations of the Steering Committee of GCPEA and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Steering Committee member organizations.

Contributors:

This study was authored by Jerome Marston and Felicity Pearce, GCPEA Senior Researcher and Research Consultant. Marika Tsolakis, Jacob Alabab-Moser, Renna Bazlen, and Alisen Stasiowski contributed research and writing. Alexander Kochenburger, Lilian Cervantes Pacheco, Fatimah Jalilah Abdullahi, Manali Joshi, Roza Kavak, and Ulysses Tully Carr assisted with research.

Generous support for Education under Attack 2024 has been provided by the Education Above All Foundation, Education Cannot Wait, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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