Shared learning for shared futures: Challenging narratives and norms underpinning child-first approaches to education in emergencies.
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| Title: | Shared learning for shared futures: Challenging narratives and norms underpinning child-first approaches to education in emergencies. |
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| Authors: | Emmerton, Ashley J.1 (AUTHOR) ashley.emmerton@rmit.edu.au |
| Source: | International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft. Apr2025, Vol. 71 Issue 2, p235-253. 19p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Adult learning, *Family relations, *Educational sociology, *Adult education, *Transformative learning, Postcolonialism |
| Abstract (English): | Despite communities in emergency situations expressing the desire and need for education beyond schooling to support the learning needs of adults and youth, the focus tends to remain on providing conventional, school-based education for school-aged children. Taking a decolonial approach to interrogating this prioritisation of schooling in Education in Emergencies (EiE), this article examines prevalent narratives around childhood and challenges the dominance of child-first EiE at the exclusion of adult, youth and whole-community approaches. Following the lead of critical EiE scholars, the author applies decolonial and postcolonial theory to understanding the centrality of children and childhood across academic literature, industry reports and publicly available policy and programme documents of EiE bodies, despite a broader focus on "children, youth and adults" such as in the definition and framework of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). By critiquing globalised notions of the lifespan and dominant norms and narratives around child and adult roles, this conceptual work asserts that limitations to support for adult and youth education are not purely financial or logistic but also deeply normative. A shift in focus towards intergenerational and whole-life approaches to EiE creates opportunities for a more transformative form of education and learning which harnesses vast knowledges and lived experiences. Such a shift has implications for policy and programming, with the potential to impact well-being and health, employment and further educational prospects, family and community cohesion and, more broadly, to facilitate relevant pluralistic (diverse) learning opportunities which emerge from and benefit communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (French): | Résumé: Un apprentissage partagé pour des futurs communs : remettre en question les récits et normes sous-tendant les approches de l'éducation en situation d'urgence centrées sur l'enfant – Bien que les communautés dans des situations d'urgence expriment leur souhait et la nécessité d'une éducation dépassant le cadre scolaire pour répondre aux besoins d'apprentissage des adultes et des jeunes, la démarche reste essentiellement axée sur une éducation conventionnelle, reposant sur l'école, s'adressant aux enfants en âge de scolarité. Adoptant une approche décoloniale pour interroger cette priorisation de la scolarisation dans l'éducation en situation d'urgence, le présent article examine les récits dominants autour de l'enfance et remet en question la domination des approches centrées sur l'enfant dans l'éducation en situation d'urgence au détriment de celles qui incluent les adultes, les jeunes et l'ensemble de la communauté. S'appuyant sur les travaux des chercheurs critiques dans le domaine de l'éducation en situation d'urgence, l'autrice convoque les théories décoloniales et postcoloniales pour comprendre la place centrale des enfants et de l'enfance dans la littérature scientifique, les rapports dans ce secteur et les documents de politique et de programmes des organismes d'éducation en situation d'urgence accessibles au public, malgré une focalisation plus large englobant « les enfants, les jeunes et les adultes » comme ce que définit le cadre du Réseau inter-agences pour l'éducation en situation d'urgence (INEE). En critiquant les concepts mondialisés de cycle de vie et les normes et récits dominants autour des rôles des enfants et des adultes, ce travail conceptuel affirme que les limites au soutien à l'éducation des adultes et des jeunes ne sont pas purement d'ordre financier ou logistique, mais qu'elles sont aussi profondément normatives. Un recentrage sur des approches intergénérationnelles et tout au long de la vie en matière d'éducation en situation d'urgence ouvre la voie à une forme d'éducation et d'apprentissage plus transformative, valorisant de vastes savoirs et des expériences vécues. Un tel changement de perspective entraîne des conséquences sur les politiques et programmes potentiellement susceptibles d'influer sur le bien-être et la santé, l'emploi et les perspectives éducatives futures, la cohésion familiale et communautaire et, plus largement, de favoriser des possibilités d'apprentissage pluralistes (diverses) et pertinentes qui émergent des communautés et leur sont bénéfiques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Despite communities in emergency situations expressing the desire and need for education beyond schooling to support the learning needs of adults and youth, the focus tends to remain on providing conventional, school-based education for school-aged children. Taking a decolonial approach to interrogating this prioritisation of schooling in Education in Emergencies (EiE), this article examines prevalent narratives around childhood and challenges the dominance of child-first EiE at the exclusion of adult, youth and whole-community approaches. Following the lead of critical EiE scholars, the author applies decolonial and postcolonial theory to understanding the centrality of children and childhood across academic literature, industry reports and publicly available policy and programme documents of EiE bodies, despite a broader focus on "children, youth and adults" such as in the definition and framework of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). By critiquing globalised notions of the lifespan and dominant norms and narratives around child and adult roles, this conceptual work asserts that limitations to support for adult and youth education are not purely financial or logistic but also deeply normative. A shift in focus towards intergenerational and whole-life approaches to EiE creates opportunities for a more transformative form of education and learning which harnesses vast knowledges and lived experiences. Such a shift has implications for policy and programming, with the potential to impact well-being and health, employment and further educational prospects, family and community cohesion and, more broadly, to facilitate relevant pluralistic (diverse) learning opportunities which emerge from and benefit communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00208566 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11159-025-10133-w |
