International aid on education in fragile states and armed conflict: what prospects?

Currently, over a third of children not in school live in countries considered being as fragile or affected by an armed conflict. These countries, which are mainly located in sub-Saharan Africa, will not reach the objectives of Education For All for 2015. This paper covers approaches across comparative education, political science and sociology of organizations. The question is: what prospects for international assistance on education in fragile states and countries affected by armed conflict? Our study explores empirically the conditions of intervention of international aid within the contexts of fragility and armed conflict. Insofar as investment in education is perceived as a necessary, if not sufficient, to vanquish poverty, the option to stimulate and accelerate the development of education constitutes an opportunity for the international community. Even if it means that the latter also has to exercise some forms of interference. The findings of our empirical analysis (panel data over the period 1999-2010) show, that within fragile states, the emergence of a current contradiction between the inclusive nature of the EFA goals and the exclusionary nature of the paradigms on which foreign aid is based (effectiveness and results). This situation leads us to question the approach of aid which is torn morally between the consequences of individual actions or common actions where the financial criteria and instruments are clearly not adapted to situations of fragility. This paper concludes with some recommendations and perspectives, particularly in the context of the post 2015